Saix

Kingmakers: The Throne Alone (A Medieval Fantasy Succession Crisis)

Michaela Müller-Hohenstein

Michaela stood amongst the group of greater nobles, her expression the perfect depiction of ’solemn’ and never giving away her personal feelings of the circumstances at hand as the Meretrix gave her final prayers after the speeches from the country’s crown hopefuls. Knowing her father, she was sure he had some snide, though likely amusing, commentary to go with the whole event from his perch on a bench towards the back of the Cathedral. As a cripple, it was easier on his broken body to sit, so it was her duty to represent their house amongst the greater nobility during important social events. While she has never known him otherwise, the knowledge of her beloved father’s constant pain was enough for her to harbor an extreme hatred towards individuals of the same profession that were the cause of his suffering. It brought her joy to know their skeletons still decorated the harbors back home.

With the funeral procession at a close, she turned to face her lady in waiting, Ilse, her hair sparkling like rubies in the sunlight that poured through the stained glass as she moved to speak to her brown-haired companion. Being in the thick of the procession, Michaela was starting to feel uncomfortable with the heavy hot air that had begun to build inside the building from the mass of bodies crammed within its doors.

“Ilse, We’ll head outside to meet back with my father and cousin since there won’t be a feast that we need to attend.”

“Yes, M’lady.” the young woman replied, turning to walk in step with Michaela as they slowly made their way back out onto the street. Their black dresses whispered as they walked, with the duchess’ dress more ornate than her companions and striking against her pale skin. Their boot heels softly clacking against the marble floors, adding to the chorus of all others making their way back into circulating air.

“It’s a good thing we are wearing black, or else everyone will start to see the sweat stains from this ungodly heat...” Isle commented softly as they walked, comfortable to speak with Michaela in such a casual manner. The women have been together since they were little girls and knew better than to make any important kind of conversation in such a public setting.

“It’s nice to know that with all that lays before us, you’re most concerned about sweat stains.” Michaela replied, her smokey blue eyes dancing with amusement as she spoke in a similar tone and bringing her head close to ensure no other overheard their friendly banter amongst the soft murmur of the crowd.

“Oh, but of course M’lady!” Ilse replied without skipping a beat. “It is social death for a lady to appear in public under such a primal state with body fluids flowing down our sleeves and pooling from underneath our breast bands. You might as well bring back the Pontefix and Meretix to hold another funeral sermon to lay my social life to rest.”

Michaela smiled, her face lighting up with amusement. “And have to sit through another stifling procession? I think not! I’m sure we can still find you work in some corner of the estate where your breasts and pits can sweat free of judgment…”

The two women giggled softly hiding their smiles behind hands sporting lacy black gloves, the gentle afternoon breeze playing through their gowns as they stepped back out into the world.

His Son Will Ride a Camel

This took me a little while to get together as I wasn’t entirely sure what kind of character I wanted to bring to the table. Please let me know if there are any questions or concerns. Thank you very mucho.

Xiomara Vargas

Name: Dr. Xiomara Vargas

Age: 30

Nationality: American

Bio: Xiomara Vargas is a third generation Latino born and raised in Miami, FL. Having developed a deep love for the ocean from a young age, she has spent her whole life dedicated to marine research and conservation. She received her B.S in Marine Science Biology from the University of Tampa, a M.A.S degree in Marine BioDiversity and Conservation from the University of California San Diego, and finally her PhD in Marine Biology and Ecology from the University of Miami. For the last three years, she has been working as a professor at the University of Almarfa where she currently teaches an introductory marine biology course to undergraduate students and oversees various marine population monitoring projects for the university with the help her colleagues and eager to learn graduate students.

Kingmakers - The Throne Alone (GoT/ASOIF-like) (Noble Politics)

@BCTheEntity Both articles and their originating peer reviewed scientific article did not suggest that Vikings had darker skin tones, or at least as dark as you’re seemingly referring to when suggesting they weren’t white. It is supporting the argument that Vikings weren’t blonde haired and blue eyed Scandinavian people, but rather more genetically diverse people with differing hair and eye colors that are seen across other European countries which in turn supports that they had complex trading, settling, and raiding networks across Europe contrary to what was previously believed. Their arguments are about the Vikings ethnic background, not their race.

Kingmakers - The Throne Alone (GoT/ASOIF-like) (Noble Politics)

@DegenerateThree A common misconception about the Old Norse people, funnily enough, is that they were all white. DNA evidence suggests that they had a great deal of ethnic diversity, with ancestry from hunter-gatherers and farmers from across the Eurasian steppe in addition to the Nordic regions. This article goes into a bit more detail about it, if you want to take a look at it for ideas to refine your CS.

@BCTheEntity

I find this quite interesting as that specific news article doesn’t say that the Norse weren’t white, just that they weren’t primarily or solely Scandinavian. They had a genetic diversity that spanned across Europe, which has a white skin tone. If you look into any human skin adaption study, you will see that human skin color heavily correlates with levels of UV radiation. Areas inhabited by humans with higher levels of UV radiation (i.e near the equator) all had darker, more melanin rich skin. Europe in any one of these maps fall into the lighter skin regions.

I would certainly like to read peer reviewed journal articles that show otherwise.

Kingmakers - The Throne Alone (GoT/ASOIF-like) (Noble Politics)

@Pagemaster She has been updated. Let me know your thoughts!

Michaela Müller-Hohenstein

Character: Michaela Müller-Hohenstein

Title: Duchess of Steinland

Claimant: Michaela stands with her family’s backing of Anyamara.

Age: 25

Height: 5’10

Reputation: Michaela is known to carry herself with dignity, to treat people with respect, and expects the same to be given to her. She is beloved by the people of Steinland.

Description:
Michaela stands taller than most women of Steinland with a height of 5'10, has youthful pale skin, and thick wavy hair as red as the fires of the setting sun with ends that sway across her lower back. She has a slender, but muscular build that shows that she maintains an active lifestyle. Her bust is of a medium size, full and seemingly nice to look at when others think that she will not notice. They are accompanied by a small waistline and hips slightly wider than her under-bust. Michaela is happy with how she developed as a woman in which, despite her slender frame, she looks good enough to not be a heavy topic of discussion with the other court women. Her breasts are agreeable in that they are not so large that they hinder her when she trains or provide her with back-ache and hips wide enough for child baring. She cannot stand their useless chitchat and if she is not the subject of their folly, all the better. She is fully aware of her duties as Dutchess and is not looking to be reminded by upper society gossips.

As cultural standard demands, Michaela is often playing the graceful and polite hostess. In more private settings or when provoked, she'll show more raw feelings. Outside of social events, she'll wear men's clothing over women's, taking comfort and ease of movement over beauty and societal standards. Because of this, she will also have her hair up in a high ponytail, so that is stays out of her face, rather than spend time on some elaborate up-do.

After her brothers horrific capture, she began to train for combat and will wear a longsword accompanied with a short stabbing dagger strapped to her hip for most occasions, showing her status to others as a Knight. The only time she is without her longsword is when she has to be in a formal setting dressed in a flowing dress of green or blue, but she will always have the dagger on her person for protection.

Notable Traits:

Artist - Michaela is a talented artist, capable of recreating any scene or object from memory with great detail.

Socialite - As a daughter of a King, she is trained in the proper etiquette and customs of her people.

Average Swordswoman - Michaela had to modify her sword style to accommodate for the fact that most of her opponents would be able to easily strike her down if she relied on strength alone. Thus, she focuses her training on speed and her ability to parry strikes.

Skilled Archer - Where she lacks in swordplay, she makes up for with deadly accuracy with a bow. She hits her targets more often than she misses them and will often help to bring in fresh meat from the forests.

Poor Strategist - While on the field - Michaela understands the basics of the battle in front of her, but doesn’t always see the bigger picture of what is worth fighting for and what is worth loosing when it comes to war.

Adept equestrian - Kanna has a love for horses and rides well. Her skill in fighting from the saddle is well known.

Personality:

Michaela is a confident young woman and takes after her father in some ways. She is cunning on both the battle field and when dealing with others, often catching her opponents off-guard due to their misogynist views of the capabilities of a woman in a position of power. She has the capacity to be ruthless and will be so when it comes to her twin brother and upholding her father's wishes.

However, underneath it all is a compassionate woman who cares for her people and will try to find a fair middle ground when possible, but only if it doesn't interfere with her father or brother’s orders. If one is fair with her, she will respond in kind. Offer anything less, and she will respond with malice. She is not generally swayed by emotions and handles most situations with a calm perspective. After a long demanding days, she enjoys taking a nice hot bath followed by some quiet time with a canvas and some brushes.

Michaela is closest with her twin brother and will do anything for him to a fault. Her biggest fear is to lose her other half on the battlefield and not being able to do anything to stop it. Her next fear is sharing the same fate as her mother, married to a lord who will keep her locked away from the world and all it's wonders. After those two things, there isn't much else she has come to dread on this earth. While Michaela is mostly a calm woman, once she is set off she can have the most terrible temper and act without regard for her own safety or to her limits. She hopes to one day meet a man that will no only match her intellect, but also respect her as the person she is and not try to force her to be something she is not. She also hopes to have twin children to carry her family’s name.

Important Note:
It is largely believed that any future heir to Steinland will come from Michaela. Rumours circulate suggesting that Karl cannot produce any children following his torture.

His Son Will Ride a Camel

This is refreshingly modern! I'm inclined to join in so long as my anime/weeb shit is tolerated :P

Royal Invitation: Nations, Distrust, and Political Romances [ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS]

@Pagemaster has called and I have answered!

The Unknown Lands: A Viking Saga

Åse Ingolfsdatter

---

Dried mud and blood flaked off of Åse‘s arms and body as she steered their vessel down river using her weight to maneuver the oar she managed. Taking a quick glance behind her, the young woman saw no signs of a pursuit behind them. Perhaps the Saxon’s decided to celebrate the victory of taking back Thetford rather than chase them completely out of their land. Åse had the mindset to call them fools, but she rather not curse their good luck. The enemy’s lack of the drive to hunt them allowed the Danes to escape, recover, and plan their next move before their enemy could decide it for them. The talk on the boat was a welcomed distraction as her arms worked to keep the boat in her control though it was not necessarily a taxing task as they moved with the current. Many spoke of retaliation as they were not accustomed to the taste of defeat, others spoke of their carelessness, and some did not speak at all, probably wrestling with their own opinions on what happened and what to do next.

The young shield maiden had no such internal struggles, for she had already decided to move on from her life of battle. Feeling the boat settle nicely in the flow of the river along with the remaining ships of their division, Åse took the opportunity to relax next to her place by the steering oar and investigated herself. Save for some scratches and bruises, she had no serious injury to concern herself with and the blood that covered her body was not her own. Åse noticed that another had taken charge of Arne once he was shoved onto the boat and had made quick work of his injury. The arrow had since been removed from his shoulder, an endeavor that resulted in many curses towards the thankless healer, and a bandage now laid in it’s place. The man was expected to recover, though it is too soon to tell for certain.

The fourteen remaining ships of their division were slowly making their way back to Lynn, a decently sized river town that was conquered and inhabited prior to the Dane’s attempt on Thetford. It was there that Åse planned to stock up and head out to world’s unknown. They would reach the town before nightfall so the young women settled into the oar to rest, chuckling with the rest of their troupe as they joked about being to busy playing with themselves to pay attention to their surroundings.

The shores at Lynn burst into life when their approach was discovered by their kin whom had occupied the town and took notice of their colors in the light of the setting sun. Many came to their aid, working to anchor their boats at the river’s edge and carry their wounded to tents were they could be tended to. Åse was glad for this as it meant she wasn’t needed for this labor and her mind could focus on other tasks. She was eager for a bath and a warm bed to sleep in but knew that a meeting amongst the lords on their next course of action was unavoidable given their current circumstances, a responsibility she inherited with the death of her beloved. It would be then that she would declare her intentions to take her vessel and leave, taking whomever wanted out of this venture. The rest would be dealt with in the morning she thought as the heaved herself over the boat and landed softly upon the sandy beach.

Passing by Kjartan on the shore, she placed her right hand upon his left shoulder, squeezing it gently in greeting. She didn’t have a chance to say anything sooner to the man as they both had duties to attend to in order to get their people to safety here in Lynn. Åse thought to ask him to join her, but decided against the notion.

“If anything, I’ll see you in the morning Kjartan.” She said softly while releasing her grip on him.

Her weary legs carried her into the weathered town, trading the soft sand for moist grass that licked away at any mineral particles that stuck to her leather boots.

The Unknown Lands: A Viking Saga

Åse Ingolfsdatter

---

Åse woke early the next morning ready for new beginnings and began to dress herself with her newly found enthusiasm. A dark green tunic showed underneath a leather chest piece with chain mail links hand sewn into the processed hide and the hem of her tunic stopped at the tops of the brown boots she wore, so one could not clearly see the trousers she wore underneath. Atop the armor she fastened her sword belt, empty of the blade which sat on the stolen bed she slept on and across her shoulders she fastened a lynx fur cape.

The young woman took a moment to caress the wildcat hide, it’s spotted hairs running softly through her fingertips. A precious gift from her late husband, but that moment was all she allowed herself. The last thing she did was comb through her yellow hair that was loose from it’s style from the night before and gathered her locks into one singular braid that ran down the middle of her skull. Within that braid, she wove in a leather strip covered in spikes so that any unaware hand that should grab her hair would be met with a painful consequence. She reached a slender hand towards the double-edged sword that sat on the bed and wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the the blade. Åse held the sword up to run a final inspection before securing it to her belt, making sure the blade was free of blemishes from previous skirmishes. The weapon itself was skillfully made for someone of her size and strength. Satisfied, she moved towards fabric flap of her lodgings where to the left against wooden poles sat a longbow made of yew wood which she grabbed on the way out along with it’s quiver filled with hawk feathered arrows. It had sat unstrung, allowing the wood to rest and the string that she would use to notch her arrows was tucked away safely in the leather purse that was fastened to her sword belt against her right hip.

Once outside, Åse made her way through the community of tents that had been set up just outside of Thetford to help shelter those that had stayed behind to occupy the town. She couldn’t help but notice the lack of animal sounds that should have been erupting from the woods that surrounded them, but there was nothing. She stopped between two tents to quickly scan the heavily wooded tree line, but saw nothing, which only aided to help further unsettle her. Very few were out and about like she was and those that were also carried worried scowls on their faces. A voice called out suddenly to Åse’s right. It came from a man who sat on a wooden stool outside the tent and he was dressed similar to she was, ready for battle.

“Lady Åse, Good Morning.”

“Good Morning Arne. I hope I haven’t disturbed you.“ The young widow was familiar with the man whom addressed her as he used to serve under her husband.

“Not at all. I have been just sitting here enjoying the morning.” He replied, nodding towards the field that was in front of them as he scratched his long beard.

“Aye.” She said simply. “Keep your eyes and ears open.”

“Same to y-“ As he spoke an arrow wizzed through the air to pierce through his left shoulder. He grunted through the pain as Åse quickly grabbed him to pull the man behind the tent and out of the supposed view of the enemies that lay waiting in the wood. The arrow buried itself in his left shoulder, settling in the meat of his bulk and was not something easily removed due to the arrow’s barbed head. Unfortunately, neither of them possessed a calling horn horn to warn of the incoming invaders so they were left with limited options.

Taking in a deep breath, Åse filled her lungs with the air she needed to warn her brethren of the impending battle to come. “Saxons!!”

As she her voice carried over the town Arne got back to his feet, his right hand applying pressure to his slow bleeding shoulder. Seeing the man could still get to his feet, Åse began to make her way through their camp towards the boats that lay ashore.

“Let’s go Arne, we have to get out of here!”

If the man felt pain from his shoulder, he did not show it as he started running towards the shore at a full sprint and Åse managed to keep pace just off to his right. Neither of them looked back as a roar erupted behind them and the Saxon army spilled forth from the trees. More arrows wizzed passed them as they made their way to the boats. Seeing Kjartan ahead, Åse spurred them to the vessel he occupied and turned to defend their rear as Arne struggled to hoist himself aboard. A man had come up behind her with only longsword in hand and bloodlust in his eyes, determined to rid his country of the Danish invaders. She calmly waited for his attack with a drawn blade as her skills as a fighter didn’t come through beating other men through sheer strength, but rather with the swiftness and accuracy of her strikes in addition to her ability to out maneuver her generally slower opponents. He had raised his sword high overhead and moved his arms as if chop her in two, but as his blade came down she sidestepped his attack and raised her own weapon to slice into his exposed underarm. The man cried out in pain as he doubled over, his red blood seeping into his beige blouse and dripping onto the ground below, leaving himself vulnerable to the lethal blow that Åse dealt him. His body hit the ground with a definitive thud, his life force spilling into the very river the Danes were looking to escape to.

Once she could see that Arne managed to pull himself aboard, Åse joined the others in pushing the vessel out to open water and hauled herself aboard once she could no longer do so efficiently.

The Unknown Lands: A Viking Saga

Hello All!

I am glad to see there are great posts being made! I was midway through my own before life happened, so I hope to have the opportunity to finish by the end of the week.