Advertisement
by The Vekta-Helghast Empire » Mon Dec 02, 2019 1:52 am
by WhatsamattaU » Mon Dec 02, 2019 2:10 pm
by WhatsamattaU » Tue Dec 03, 2019 9:31 pm
by The Vekta-Helghast Empire » Wed Dec 04, 2019 2:49 am
WhatsamattaU wrote:Okay, the Queen is at the Ball.... anyone else showing up? Please?
by Nagakawa » Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:13 am
WhatsamattaU wrote:Okay, the Queen is at the Ball.... anyone else showing up? Please?
by WhatsamattaU » Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:17 am
by WhatsamattaU » Thu Dec 05, 2019 10:18 am
by Aureumterra » Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:23 pm
WhatsamattaU wrote:Aureumterra, are there any claimants to the throne of Tarinia from the Sixurid family? A brother, child or grandchild?
by WhatsamattaU » Fri Dec 06, 2019 6:10 pm
by Aureumterra » Sat Dec 07, 2019 9:41 pm
by WhatsamattaU » Sat Dec 07, 2019 9:51 pm
by WhatsamattaU » Sat Dec 07, 2019 9:53 pm
Aureumterra wrote:Gonna post tomorrow, was on a trip
by WhatsamattaU » Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:46 am
by Aureumterra » Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:27 am
WhatsamattaU wrote:Que paso?
by The Vekta-Helghast Empire » Wed Dec 11, 2019 6:11 am
by Aureumterra » Wed Dec 11, 2019 7:32 pm
by WhatsamattaU » Wed Dec 11, 2019 7:56 pm
Aureumterra wrote:Very sorry again, had a lot of stuff to do IRL, promise I’ll post tomorrow
by Aureumterra » Fri Dec 13, 2019 2:00 pm
by WhatsamattaU » Fri Dec 13, 2019 6:24 pm
by The Vekta-Helghast Empire » Wed Dec 18, 2019 7:52 pm
by Aureumterra » Wed Dec 18, 2019 7:54 pm
The Vekta-Helghast Empire wrote:This still afloat? As I'd actually be able to post now, that the worst of my duties have passed!
by The Vekta-Helghast Empire » Wed Dec 18, 2019 8:00 pm
by The KL-22 » Thu Dec 19, 2019 12:22 am
Character App
Name: Robert Strabice. As Robert himself would put it: "No 'sirs', no titles, no large tracts of land. Simply Robert Strabice, playwright."
Age: 32
Position in the Royal Government:Officially none. Robert Strabice is a well known playwright, and a keen artistic talent. He is also a loyal supporter of the crown, the current ruling family and an executor of the Queen's will. Many of his plays have decidedly political overtones, drawing allegory to current events in Tarinia and abroad. Notably, he is an influencer of a large captive audience of peasants, many of whom could be convinced further towards or away from policies and individuals Robert likes or dislikes. As such, he gains a large patronage from the crown, the extent to which (though not the fact of their patronage) is somewhat secretive. He is also an, again unofficial, advisor to the crown on matters of public perception.True Intention:Robert is obviously ambitious. Though he would be the one capable of doing it, he knows that to try and tell the court his interests are the common good would be a futile act. For a commoner to have come so far in prestige without title to his name, he must be driven. However, Robert's aims would never be to join the nobility. Robert has a love of royalty, and a belief in monarchy at a fundamental level, but a hatred for the bloated and tired nobility that aristocracy brings. Robert would either support a constitutional monarchy of the people, or a just monarchy of strong-willed rulers. Robert also wishes to curry as much favour with the Queen as he possibly can. He has already warmed the Queen to his character and cause somewhat, but to continue that will require continued gentle pushes of the Queen towards his position. Though also, as a romantic, Robert would enjoy the idea of courting the Queen, perhaps becoming Paramour rather than Prince Consort.ShortBio:Robert was born into a small country village within Tarinia. His father, Jean Strabice, was a known and influential tailor in the surrounding area, and thus earnt a very decent income for the family, and his mother, Alice d'Ancey was the second daughter of a local landowner - not one of much import, but one to whom there was enough wealth to supplicate the family ever more. One of only two children, his sister, Lucie, two years his elder, Strabice gained a full and comprehensive education, learning reading, writing, mathematics and many other skills privately. His sister was an avid reader of books, and their father would always bring a book or two back with him from the local town. However, due to her enjoyment of reading, she would be finished with books far sooner than their father could bring them to her. As such, Robert, an imaginative and charming young boy, opted to write stories for his sister to read. His sister enjoyed each new story, often reading them out to their parents and other visitors, sharing the works of young Robert with most who would come and visit them.
The local lord died at an old age, his son taking over. Despite the new lord's adulthood (as well as possessing very adult tastes) he was not mature, not as a leader, a manager of monetary resources, or as anything of use. The first way in which the family was affected was that the d'Ancey family came under heavy pressure from the noble, themselves having to live a somewhat more Spartan lifestyle to counteract. Alice and Jean, however, knew that they could support them, with Jean's successful tailor business earning enough money for those of Alice's family who did not have their own income. However, the road between the village and the local town became treacherous, no longer patrolled as it was. Jean realised that he needed to make less trips to town, so had to sell more while he was there to break even. When the local lawkeeper knocked on the family's door to reveal that Jean had been killed on the road, the family had lost their last stable income. Alice was inconsolable.
Alice, Lucie and Robert had enough money between them that they could survive alone for a while, but Alice was unskilled in any notable craft. Lucie and Robert, 17 and 15 at the time, knew they had to do some work. Lucie found work in a textile mill, working long hours to bring in money for the family. Robert became a tutor, charging little money for his services, but enough so that he could bring in something. While he tutored, he would often bring his books with him. A few months into his tutoring, a boy, Philip Palie one year younger than him found a copy of his works. He read it aloud in a manner similar to how Robert's sister would. Robert became convinced that, if he could gain more money somewhere, he could move to Biymond and gain an even greater audience for his work, perhaps even fame. That became his dedicated mission, and he stated that he would move his family, his mother and sister, to Biymond with him.
However, his mother would not survive long. She died broken, leaving Lucie and Robert on their own. Robert was still not earning enough money, though Robert and Philip Palie became close, Philip being one of Robert's closest confidants, as well as an actor in many of his public plays he put on for meagre donations. When Robert was 18, Lucie brought together enough money to pay Robert's way to the capital, as well as Philip. Robert promised her that when he had the funds, he would bring Lucie there too. Robert and Philip went to Biymond. Neither of them were ready for the hostility the capital showed them. Despite small charitable donations, as well as the beauty that much (admittedly the richer parts) of the capital exhibited, most simply did not care to hear stories read aloud. Robert and Philip, now alone together, began to confide in each other ever more. They fell in love, both pledging to each other through all that the Capital would throw at them.
Word reached Biymond that Lucie had died of some disease, exacerbated by overworking herself. Robert went into a deep depression - his family now all dead, his connection to a once-better life now gone. He put pen to paper, his grief spilling out onto the page. An ode to his sister, wishing that she had come to see much of the beauty he had seen there. He left the paper, crumpled up, in a thicket near to the richest parts of the city. Parts where, as chance would have it, a noble came to pick them up.
Doing some research, he found word that a young author and his friend were performing book readings, he thought he could use the young man's talents for his own ends. It would be a good publicity tool for this particular unpopular noble, and so he found Robert and gave him his patron. Robert, however, recognised the noble. The same noble who had inherited his village. But Robert would play along. For many months, he worked with the patronage of this noble, writing books with strong, handsome characters, actors provided by the noble himself, with that same noble's name. He penned letters for the noble, wrote notes to his various lovers around the city, and should a conflict have come up, sorted out the problems. This noble, however, began to gain yet more attention as a result of this massive public relations push, and this brought the attention of a businessman, who looked into where these letters were coming from. The noble was not a notable one, his funds quick running short, whereas the businessman, not only did he have to gain from the loss of this noble, his business being affected by the noble's mismanagement of his own land, but he offered Robert a far more generous (and artistically free) patronage. But on one condition - Robert had to thoroughly depict the same noble negatively beforehand, and make his public reputation so bad that he could not recover. Robert obliged, painting the noble as the drunk, whoremongering, adulterous and mismanaging child that he was. The fuming noble could do nothing, and Robert was given the patronage of the businessman.
Over the next few years, Robert even had a small theatre built for him by the businessman, who knew that a good location would be beneficial for Robert. The businessman also started Robert off on writing plays rather than books. In another move of good strategy, the businessman made every asset Robert used owned under his name, meaning that Robert could not leave his side. But Robert flourished under his patron. The patron would even introduce Robert to important members of court, including crucially, members of the royal family. Robert was in awe of the family, less the squabbling nobles beneath them and more of a strong, unifying influence to the country. Robert, with the creative freedom afforded him, began to paint the royal family specifically in a very positive light. The crowds that were brought into the theatre, however, were usually richer, as the businessman made sure that Robert took payment for his plays from entry fees. Since he owned the premises, it was his right. However, Robert envisioned a more populist message. And so, whenever rehearsals for the plays took place, they happened outside of the theatre, in the sight of thronging crowds.
It was at this time that Robert had his first major breakthrough. "Love's Duties", a play which really did paint royalty well, caught the attention of crowds, of influential people, and of the royal family. As such, Robert was offered patronage just after the play concluded. It was the chance he wanted to remove himself from the businessman's tight grip. He pulled some strings, and had the theatre's ownership transferred directly to him, with the royal family now his main source of income. Though it also indicated to him that his only limit was his ambition, should he climb for greater things. He cruelly left Philip, realising that he could try to woo his way into yet more power as well.
And that is how Robert has operated for the last four years - one of the most notable common supporters of the crown, and someone to whom nobility exists to be criticised, while royalty exists to be honoured. He has written other notable works in the meantime, and has just released yet another work that exalts the Queen. More than likely, his career will continue to be notable, and that is what he counts on.
Portrait:
I have read the rules carefully: Yes.
by WhatsamattaU » Thu Dec 19, 2019 8:15 pm
The Vekta-Helghast Empire wrote:This still afloat? As I'd actually be able to post now, that the worst of my duties have passed!
Return to Portal to the Multiverse
Users browsing this forum: Chewion, Chia Dal, Google [Bot], Nuxipal
