Preparations still await to be completed as the morning of the sixteenth day of the fourth moon begins with the breaking of dawn, coloring the skies in a bright, yolk - thick vibrancy that rouses occupants of all three castles from fleeting slumber as the highly anticipated day stirs vivacity among the masses. Horse - trodden paths between the three residences, once heavily patrolled with the precautionary measures necessitated to ensure safety between all factions, remain clear of foot soldiers who were now replaced with standard bearers carrying the banners of the Ottoman Empire and Germany, colors intertwined upon cloth. Trumpeting, three heralds call for attention from all those that would listen to begin the gathering at the castle of Sasso Corbaro, ushering in guests from all sides of the faction to account for the Duchess’s vast array of friends and extended family members. The wedding procession begins with the entourages of both bride and groom departing from the quarters of their respective countries, through the halls of the castle to eventually gather at the small chapel which now serves as mutual, sacred ground between the two faiths.
In the spirit of unity, the ceremony is appropriately themed around a fusion of Ottoman and Germanic traditions, considering the cultures of both bridge and groom, incorporated into the festivities to further emphasize the peaceful union. In line with the fashions of Europe, the bride dons a gown of blue as a symbol of her purity, cementing a statement for the rest of the wedding to follow suit. Jewel - toned blues are used to decorate Sasso Corbaro, with shades of gold interlaced in the detailing to symbolize grandeur and prosperity. The splendor of the ceremony is heightened by liberal use of floral arrangements in complementary shades, with roses being the most prominent through splashes of seasonal wildflowers.
Though the marriage is blessed by a Lutheran priest in accordance to the faith of Germany, the ceremony itself and the religious rites entailed are conducted in the Islamic faith. Both religious and legal requirements are carefully observed, with readings taken from the Quran before the groom motions to kiss the bride ─ three times on the cheek and once on the forehead, as is customary to the faith. After the ceremony comes to a completion, Friederike declares her intention to convert to the Islamic faith, the religion of her new husband and of any children that may be born of their union.
Behind closed doors, legal papers are drawn to finalize the decision and a new name is chosen by the bride, though she will always be known as Friederike ( or, more affectionately, Friedi ) to her nearest and dearest.
After the pair emerges from the legal proceedings, the true festivities begin. Guests are offered a choice between a European feast that Westerners may be more familiar with, interspersed with German dishes such as Sauerbraten, or a more flavorsome spread from the Ottoman Empire, featuring smoked meat and an array of sweets. The music that fills the halls is distinctly, uniquely, Ottoman in nature, played on the kemence, kanun and kadum while shadowplays and meddah amuse those who wish the newlyweds well. The tales weaved by these story tellers are not familiar to those who hail from the Ottoman Empire, however, drawing inspiration from Germanic folklore instead ─ another clear merger of the couple’s origins. With the scent of meats and sweets in the air, fluted music soothing the ear, the celebrations promise to continue well into the night, washing away all doubts of the union and invoking respect from the gathered countries as a new, joined force arises from the marriage.
CONCLUSION
Congratulation ─ our first wedding plot has been purchased by Shay and Henry and now fully rolls into effect !
Please note that the wedding will be taking place, in character, on the 16th of April, 1559.
This plot drop will last for an entire week, out of character, from the 16th of April ( 12:40PM, GMT-4 ) till the 23rd of April ( 12:40PM, GMT-4 ).
Characters are mandated to plot and write threads in response to the wedding, either being in attendance or purposefully choosing not to attend due to personal reasons. Regular threads are permitted to continue in this time but we ask that priority be placed on the current plot and references should be made on the union, as it will be known throughout the three different castles and the two different factions.
We sincerely hope that our members enjoy and participate in the purchased plot and once again, congratulations to Shay and Henry !
there lingers an air of anticipation as the morning of the third day of the second month in 1559 breaks over the snow capped mountains of switzerland, rousing the bodies of both highborn and lowborn from their deep slumbers to address the last day of the successful neuchatel fair with growing excitement. the courtyards of montebello are slowly filled with even more wears, fares and raw produce than ever since in the days prior as merchants from all the attending countries work to empty out their temporary stores to conduct a clearance of all persihable goods before the festivities are due to end. yet even in this, there lies an element of competition as the more ❛ generous ❜ of countries decide to offer their bountiful stores of food to the passersby, each neighboring land, allied or hostile, then refusing to be outdone by the other as good intentions are contorted in pride.
at the chinese tents, firemasters dressed in the cream-and-gold garb of switzerland carry crates upon crates of straw-cushioned bamboo and paper tubes, wheeling out the racks and preparing the fuses as visitors from all across the known world settle into their seats for dinner and a display of lights in the evening skies. the green men work to keep the nobility entertained with cartwheels and comedy as the erected tents are slowly disassembled behind the dining crowd. a hush falls upon the crowd as the fire pits are dimmed, children tucked close against the sides of their parents when the food is cleared and the firemasters begin their show of lights.
the first bamboo and paper tube ignites with a startling noise that sends a wave of shock through the crowds, both within and without the confines montebello castle as wide-eyed gazes reflect the array of golden and orange and red sparks dancing in the dark night sky. distantly, a babe cries in immediate response to the sudden commotion but the cries are quickly swallowed by a quick commencement of claps and laughter till only glee fills the courtyard, ring-adorned hands pointing towards the skies and mouth parted into gasps over the art made upon heaven’s canvas. behind the noise, servants and merchants alike are heavily laden with boxes and packages that are meant to be carried into the stables and carriage yards of montebello, peoples from differing countries now working together with tireless determination to pack the tents and unsold produce back into the wagons and cages as each monarchy is due to return to their respective faction-divided castles on that very evening. nursemaids rush forward to soothe the perturbed children, guiding royal babes back to the temporary lodgings within king diebold’s castle as a few lingering ambassadors forsake paper and ink for the festivities outside with arms wrapped around shoulders, friendship thick and ripe in the air.
( it is this image that will forever be burned into the retinas of some as the repeated, thundering sounds of ignited fireworks masks the steps of the devil within their midst. )
timed to perfection, the opposite ends of the castle shake with heavy quakes. the motions goes unnoticed by those gathered in the courtyard as the exploding pyrotechnics conceals the sounds of frantic horses and collapsing columns. the unfamiliar commotion in the skie means that it takes a few moments for even the hired mercenaries of king diebold to discern that anything was amiss but the sight of smoke and loose horses fleeing the scene sends a rush of guards and servants to the burning stables on one end and the destroyed carriage yard on the other, where two small but impactful explosions had been set off, masked by the display in the heavens. what greats the eye is enough to send chills down the back of any seasoned soldier ─ once neatly packed, crates of silks and works of art are now strewn across the rubble. thick smoke fills the air and perforates the lungs, forcing them to double over into harsh coughs and beneath the burning planks of wood and chunks of brick, parts of destroyed bodies are discovered, charred and ripped to piece ; both human and animal, intermingled like a grotesque mockery.
within the courtyard, the last of the fireworks are ignited in one long fuse, creating an array of lights as bright as the sun within the night skies and the cheers of the crowd nearly drown out the screams as more and more people happen upon the disastrous scene. servants flee from the destroyed stables, horses kick their way into the once-peaceful courtyard and like a match, panic ripples through the gathered nobility as shouts of death and treachery and danger are reverberated through the crowd. what commences is nothing short of a stampede as the hired mercenaries of the swiss king are overrun but the rush of panicking royals, nobility and wild animals, now set loose by the unforeseen attack. there lingers very little semblance of morality or dignity among the monarchs when lives are at stake and this is further evidenced by the careless pushing and pulling of one another into danger as each individual battles to get to safety within the palace walls. bodies are thrown to the ground, families are separated and the fire pits, which one warmed the frames of those gathered around in peace, fall to the floors and ignite wood and canvas, painting a fearsome picture that marks the end of the neuchatel fair.
welcome to the third and final part of our first event and our first plot drop ! the current date in-game is 4th of february 1559 ( three days after the last athletic event on the 31st of january 1559 ) though the above write-up occurred on the day before that ( 3rd of february 1559 ). the admins of bloodlessgloryrpg hope that our members will enjoy the last part of our first event and if there are any questions, please feel free to reach out for further clarification ! more details on the event, the deceased and the aftermath of the explosions can be found below !
the victims of the explosions in the stables and the carriage yards are as follows :
from the holy roman empire : commander dietrich von meran, second in command of the imperial army and godfather to the grand duke of carinthia ─ died in the stables, saddling up his stallion.
from portugal : duke carlos de barcelos, nephew to the late queen carlota de barcelos and cousin to the infantes and infantas of portugal ─ died in the carriage yard, preparing the portuguese transportation.
from poland : miss zofia nowak, chambermaid and childhood companion to princess agnieszka ─ died in the stables, tending to the princess’ steed.
from the ottoman empire : gelibolulu alaeddin pasha, beylerbey of the anatolia eyalet and adviser to sehzade bayezide ─ died in the carriage yard, en route to sasso carboro castle.
from the ming empire : ambassador park ji-won, uncle to the joseon royals ─ died in the stables, tending to the horses meant to be transported back to the ming empire.
from hindustan : maryam devi, urdubegis of the mughal empire and cousin to gulbadan devi sultan begum ─ died in the carriage yard, overseeing the packing of the hindustani purchases.
along with the deceased, the number of injured currently remains unaccounted for as the rubble of the stables and carriage yards covers a good portion of any potential survivors. members are encouraged to include their own characters among those injured during the stampede ─ minor injuries do not require admin clearance but please do notify the main of any lasting or life threatening injuries you may want to inflict upon your character.
as a whole, all characters will face a -5 point deduction from their physical and luck sections as a result of this plot drop, meaning that there will be a deduction of -10 points from each character’s total health statistics.
all threads should take place on the following morning after the attack ( 4th of february 1559 ) ─ though members are encouraged to write plotted, closed starters with their respective partners that detail the attack and the chaotic aftermath, all open starters should be placed after the initial panic and in an accessible area. as mentioned above, some characters may still be separated in the morning throughout the vast areas of the castle but all characters should be attempting to get to safety within the castle and reunite with the loved ones and allies. some suggested ideas for threads, locations and scenarios can be found below !
within the castle walls : with the castle still on lockdown, wood for the fires has become sparse. the injured take priority and warmth is bestowed in the rooms delegated for the sick, leaving some rooms chilly and forcing bodies to huddle together. your character could be charged with assisting the injured, gathering or making fireword from pieces of furnation, handing out blankets or calming the masses. your character could also be inciting further fear by desperation in trying to find the missing members of their families, throwing accusations around and starting quarrels. your character could also be plotting with their fellow allies or preparing a plan to escape from bellizona.
within the castle grounds : for those stuck outside the walls but within the grounds, the chaos of the night prior could have forced them to seek shelter in the various half-erected tents or the outside sheds of the swiss palace. as the noise has died down in the morning, they may be seeking refuge within the castle but the carnage outside ( from the uncleaned explosions and burned courtyard ) proves difficult to navigate through. besides those from the outside trying to find their way back in, battling weather and injury, there might also be groups from within the castle walls that have formed search and rescue groups as well as cleaning groups to help with the rubble and to rediscover any survivors beneath the fallen rock and wood or those that are merely outside to gather a glimpse of the aftermath itself.
outside the castle gates : the chaos of the evening had separated many, even pushing some pass the gates and into the crowd of peasants. while the good people of bellinzona are of a similar disposition to their jovial king, characters would either face extreme challenges or extreme comforts as they are completely out of their usual circle of friends. thieves may seek a chance to pick the pockets of frightening nobility though some would open their doors to the lost and give them rest for the night. either way, characters that are now separated from the rest of the monarchy must get back into the castle and while this is possible, it would be difficult as suspicion would easily fall upon them and armed guards patrol the streets, ready to arrest any suspicious looking folk.
though the grasp of winter begins to thaw some five or six days after the montebello attacks, the ground remains too hard to break through with a shovel, hidden beneath several inches of flurried ice even as the first buds of spring peek forth from the snow-capped trees in shades of greens and pinks and reds. the religious sisters of switzerland flock to the castle in their white and black habits, embalming the dead and packing snow against the walls of the chapel of rest, tireless in their duty to persevere the bodies whilst the switzer king worked towards finding the perpetrator behind such an unprecedented attack. the chroniclers would go on to lamenting the dead, reciting verses upon verses of waxed poetics for the deceased that ranged from fresh green lads to wizened patriarch, from underfoot innocents to duteous men whose bodies now laid, awaiting proper burials yet it is the entrapped nobility that haunt the halls of the castle, a solemn silence descending upon the once jovial gathering. tempers only rise when the swiss mercenaries storm through their royal ranks as if they were but petty thieves, awaiting judgement ─ each individual is separated and then heavily interrogated by the king’s men. not even the injured are spared from this scrutiny, broken and still-healing bodies carried into the king’s private council rooms to be interviewed.
stories collide with falsified news and paranoid accusation, a hundred versions of the same night leading the swiss guards on a wild goose chase that narrows down the blame onto the shoulders of three main countries, now placed under immense scrutiny. the ming empire of china lingers upon the tongues of many, the only common attribute in the stories that speak of thunderous fireworks in the skies that masked the first tremors of the explosion. some more religious folk, spurned into fervor by the sudden attack, place accountability upon the laps of those from the ottoman empire ─ an easy assumption to make as infidels from the east now seem foreign and barbaric to the pious. in return, the amount of deaths from the ottoman faction lead several fingers to point towards the catholic monarchs of spain and the holy roman empire, whose families and household staff remained largely unaffected by the attacks, most either kept safe indoors or away from the worst of the injuries.
in the end, it takes the drunken ramblings of a serving girl to lay the blame upon lord gaufrid neuchâtel of bern. the name sends an uproar through the gathered royals, a riot nearly occurring within the castle walls itself as kings and emperors from across the known world demand answers from the hosting king. as cousin to diebold, gaufrid was prepared to be regent over the young neuchâtel heir should anything befall the switzer king, effectively putting the overlooked lord in complete control over the power of switzerland’s troops. unlike his name, which, when placed together, means ❛ territory of peace ❜, the cousin of the king was known to be heavily and vocally discontent with his lot in life, thus his involvement in the peace treaty came as a surprise to be swiss royals, who had been lulled into a false sense of security by the conniving man.
all eyes draw towards the accused as the guards drag him before the king in the burnt remnants of montebello’s courtyard. those standing closest to diebold would say that the king trembled as he spoke the words that would condemn his kin to death by torture and execution, the furs of his large cloak dragging on the floor as he spun away, unable to watch as the herald announced the manner of punishments that would be dealt to the culprit before the mercy was death was bestowed. those with the stomach of such unpleasantries were invited to watch as justice was served but the gates of montebello begin to draw open for each respective faction to return to their allotted castles and mourn for their dead, with proper burials and funeral services being planned for the following few weeks.
to many, justice seems to have been served in the form of a most unexpected criminal though the visiting royals now grow suspicious of the swiss king, doubtful of his ability to maintain peace between the warring countries when he struggled to keep harmony within his own home. yet none are permitted to leave the cold grounds of switzerland without first meeting with the king and none wish to draw attention to themselves by fleeing earlier, each country bound by pride and determination to prove their innocence, now more than ever.
CONCLUSION
thank you to everyone who has participated in our first event thus far ! it has officially ended with the torture and execution of the criminal lord, gaufrid neuchâtel and the gates of montebello are now open for our characters to return to their respective castles as life attempts to return to normalcy. the next few weeks will be filled with funeral services and burials for the deceased as spring begins to settle upon switzerland.
for those of you who are just beginning your event threads or are in the middle of these threads, please feel free to continue until the conclusion but refrain from making any new threads actively reacting to the attack as it has been a week in-game since it has occurred ! we are so happy to see so much love and enthusiasm from all of you and we promise even more fun things in the future. keep your eyes peeled for the next installment of bloodlessglory’s juicy plots ! until then, for any further questions or concerns, you are more than welcomed to reach out to us !
Before death had clouded the spring brightness of Switzerland with a poisonous spread of terror, a gathering of astronomers, both native and foreign to the lands, had gathered to consult with one another regarding the changes in the skies and a promise, written in the stars. The wise men of the skies could not come to a consensus on the date of the eclipse or if there would be an eclipse at all, as the heavens had remained unchanging, free from tumultuous stirrings. Thus, such suspicions were never reported to the king nor to any of the other visiting royal houses, though a few of the Swiss staff had whispered of the gathering in the days to follow, before murder and the return of the dead lifted enchantments of the sky from mind.
Initially a clear, unclouded day, the sky begins to darken in the early afternoon of the fifth day of the fourth moon and shortly, after the hour strikes one and thirty minutes past noon, a total solar eclipse begins. The totality of darkness, when the moon covers the sun, lasts for only a handful of minutes in actuality but the shifting of the skies begins some fifteen minutes prior, after which the sky shadows with foreboding heraldry over Switzerland. With the beginning of the eclipse, several royal attendants haste to report the event to their masters, who were not already in witness of the event for themselves. Many fear that it is an ill omen, following so soon after the Neuchâtel fair attack and the recent murders that doubts of whether peace can be achieved trickles through the castles.
A group of local Franciscan monks, dispatched to administer the Lenten services to the Catholics gathered in Switzerland return with reports of blindness among their ranks, resulted from looking at the eclipse and whispers spread that along with a lost of sight, a local Dominican abbey has flooded completely and it’s Abbess has passed away, though the connection between the flooding and the death of the reverend mother is unclear. Several monks, driven into religious stupor by the event, take to preaching against the peace talks, ignoring the orders of their Abbot to remain neutral in regards to the gathering of Catholics and infidels in one land.
Astrologers and astronomers alike are quick to join in with the rogue monks, riding their suspicions hard. Word of mouth spreads like wildfire among the castle, misinformation sparking through all ranks of peoples. Tales of witches rising, forests spontaneously bursting into flames, demons heckling the common folk and crucifixes falling off walls run rampant ─ a sign of divine anger towards the peaceful sojourn. All in all, one theme remains the same.
The eclipse is an ill omen, inciting punishment either from god or the devil.
There remains one, however, who keeps her head during the momentary chaos. Imperial Concubine Jing was not a suspicious woman, quick with her instructions to keep her household within the walls with the curtains drawn and telling those around her to keep from looking at the eclipse. Never one to believe in the bureaucratic nonsense spewed by imperial astrologers, she relies on the faint recollections of her mothers’ advise, telling her of a similar event that had happened long before her birth. In the aftermath, as the moon moves from the sun and light is restored to Switzerland, she wonders if she, too, can use this event to sway powers to her side, as the monks and astronomers have done.
CONCLUSION
Congratulations ─ our first natural phenomenon plot has been purchased by Jane and now rolls into effect !
Please note that a total solar eclipse took place on the 5th of april, 1559. It begun at 1:30pm though the moon took a few minutes to cover the sun completely. Whilst covered, the eclipse lasted for a handful of minutes before the moon cleared from the sun.
In general, eclipses were seen as signs of ill-fortune and a total solar eclipse would be taken as a very bad omen among the gathered royalty and nobility. There have also been reports from the local monks that several of their brotherhood have gone blind from looking at the eclipse, and that a local abbey has suffered a great flood and the death of it’s abbess in that one afternoon. Many Christians now see this as a sign of God’s disfavor.
Members are encouraged to write short threads detailing the character reactions to the eclipse either during or after the event, which lasts, in-character, for roughly fifteen to twenty minutes in total. Characters are required to react to the natural phenomenon, either positively or negatively, depending on their alliances and faiths.
Thank you Jane, for purchasing the natural phenomenon plot to shake things up on the dash and we are excited to see where this change in the weather will lead our characters in their superstitious and religious beliefs ! Again, we would like to take this moment to encourage interested members to take a peek at our point shop page if they have any plots or ideas they wish to implement for their character or to contribute towards the group !
as the first day of festivities and an evening of merriment dies down, the second morning of the fair rises with a similar excitement as the courtyard of montebello, its titles and greenery more commonly speckled with snowfall, is now hidden beneath the heavy foot traffic as noble visitants from all corners of the known world enjoy themselves within the erected tents, purchasing new clothing and foreign food displayed within the small stalls. the cacophony of crying salesmen, huffing beasts and laughing customers allows no room for doubt that the initiative proposed by the swiss king had been a successful one, and it had only just begun. chroniclers from all the cantons of switzerland scribe down the fruits of king diebold’s efforts on careful letters to their respective liege lords, to assure the continuous loyalty and pivotal support for the neuchatel monarchy, watching as the last of the participants rush to the list boards by the athletic fields.
the array of contestant differ in more than just their country of origin ─ green and mature, men and woman, nobility and royalty, were all made the same for everyone longed to boast of their physical prowess through friendly matches made with those who, not even a year prior, were met with hostility in larger, blood-drenched fields.
at midday of the twenty-eighth, the king himself receives the list of names from the scribes, ever-jovial as his eyes skim through the names of different nationalities and in different penmanships. with a hearty sigh of relief, followed closely by a beaming grin, king diebold announces the first contestants of each sport in a booming voice, nodding in approval before allowing his herald to continue in the calling and matching of each long anticipated match. the swiss king offers the best of luck to each and everyone participating in the games, enthusiasm flooding his robust frame as he garners a peak of the lush gifts to be awarded to the winners. there is a small hesitation to his gait as he moves to step down from the pedestal, as if he has merely forgotten one last announcement, eyes traveling across the crowd gathered by the edge of the podium as he reminds all his guests that this is a peace event and that sharp weapons, harsh words and violent intent must all be forgotten before one enters the ring.
( or else, remains his cutting, unsaid advice, as his exit from the stage gives room to yet another joyous performance, drawing the minds of the dignitaries away from their strange host. )
firstly, thank you so much to all our writers for your submissions into the athletic rounds of the neuchatel fair ! we will now be entering a stage of small updates / plot drops regarding the athletic events which will be detailed below. whilst we do not expect you to write out the actual competition, we encourage the mentioning of the list of competitors and the matches in your threads, but we would like you guys to follow with our timeline and the results posted by the admin team, as we are trying to be as fair as possible. we will not be tolerating any godmodding regarding athletic performance nor results.
please make sure to read the following :
archery : the archery competition will be composed of various contestant who will be competing during the entirety of a day ( ic : 29th of january, in the afternoon / ooc : 31st of january ) in the archery fields. each contestant will have five attempts to hit the circles of the bullseye, and whomever has the most straight shots, will win the overall contest.
for our writers, we will be determining the result of the match by calculating the luck + physical points, based on the last point count update submitted to the main ( through discord or the submit box ). the results will then be posted with another update on the day of the event ( friday, the 31st of january ).
the contestants for the archery competition are as follows ─ giovanna de medici of tuscany, irina trubetskaya of russia, joachim kostka of poland, margaret tudor of england, yi seonhwa of joseon and vitória de bragança of portugal.
melee : the melee competition is perhaps the harshest event there is on the lineup ─ a disorganized hand to hand combat contest that will be taking place on the 30th of january, 1559 ( ooc : 1st and 2nd of february ). the winner of the competition will be the last man standing in the field after the rest have forfeited.
for our writers, we will be determining the result of the match by calculating the physical points, based on the last point count update submitted to the main ( through discord, a post on the dash or the submit box ). the results will then be posted with another update on the day of the event ( SUNDAY, the 2nd of february ).
the contestants for the melee competition are as follows ─ adhémar de valois of france, antónio de bragança of portugal, arthur tudor of england and james tudor of england.
jousting : considered by some to be the most chivalrous physical activity that a man may engage in, the jousting event will be divided into three rounds, all of which will be taking place on a single day, one after the other ( ic : 31st of january / ooc : 3rd and 4th of february ). the first round of contestants will be mentioned below ─ the winner of each pair will compete with one another in a semi final, whilst the odd one out ( which will be determined by a random generator ) will be moving on to compete in the final.
for our writers, we will be determining the pairs from a random generator, while the result of the match will be by calculating the luck + physical points, based on the last point count update submitted to the main ( through discord or the submit box ). the results of the first round will be released on monday ( 3rd of january ) and the results of the semi finals and the finals will be released on tuesday ( 4th of january ).
the contestants for the jousting competition are as follows ( list of all the participants from the random generator ) ─ adhémar de valois of france, arthur tudor of england, james tudor of england, louis de valois of france, antónio de bragança of portugal and charles de valois of france.
by random generation, the first round of pairs are as follows ( list of the results from the random generator ) ─
arthur tudor of england VS louis de valois of france.
charles de valois of france VS james tudor of england.
adhémar de valois of france VS antónio de bragança of portugal.
a flurry of morning snow is stirred into the air as each participant of the disorganized, hand-to-hand combative contest ambles into the melee ring on the afternoon of the thirtieth of the first month of 1559. unlike the heaven-blessed archery competitions, there lingers an unresolved tension as the contestants gather a value of their opponents within the circle, egged on by their fellow countrymen and supporters that gather to watch around the wooden balustrades of the ring.
the herald of the games drops a cream and yellow flag and the battle commences.
the first to leave the rings is a surprising departure ─ prince james tudor stumbles to the edge of the ring and grasps one of the four white flags, looking more than a little disorientated with his surroundings as a group of english men aid their prince from the crowd. the second to reach for the white flag is infante antónio de bragança, who seems similarly in a daze after a ringing hit to the head region from one of his opponents sends him stumbling back into the balustrades, where he is guided to exit the ring.
in the center, the final two remain. duke arthur tudor, who now holds the pride of england on his shoulders and marquess adhémar de valois, who champions for the french cause with a determined gaze ─ as their weapons meet, the crowd rises in raucous cheers, drowning the sound of each blow till the duke of york, bruised in shades of purple and bull, limps to the corner of the ring, fingers closing around the white flag of surrender.
the herald announces the victor to be marquess adhémar de valois and the french supporters rise in joyous cheer as king diebold bestows a miniature axe made of solid gold to the bruised but still standing man and bids the physicians to see to the injuries of the competitors while the sands of the ring are filled to cover droplets of blood and sweat.
the king ushers the supporters away with hearty thanks and promises the best care for those who had participated, reminding the crowd to gather at the stands on the morrow, to lend support for their choice of champion as all four men are bound to meet again in the jousts.
as discussed with the respective muns of the participating characters, each character has been matched with an appropriate, approved injury to reflect the time spent in the ring, with the longest standing contestants suffering more severe outcomes.
the results of this match were calculated by each character’s physical points, as seen here.
adhémar of france : 26, who has suffered minor bruising.
arthur of england : 18, who has suffered severe bruising.
antónio of portugal : 17, who has suffered a minor concussion.
james of england : 15, who has suffered a minor concussion.
the last day of the first month of 1559 has a rise in the temperature, with the cool sun of switzerland warming and slowly thawing the snow that had settled like a pearl - white blanket over every surface of montebello ─ the newfound warmth is a gift to the men who suffered just a day before from the unforgiving, ever changing swiss weather and the physical strain from the melee contest. though many, the victorious and the unfortunates, have risen with some ill effects from the violent aftermath of the game, every single of the contestants who have signed up for the most awaited competition of the week, the jousting rounds, have arrived in their shining armors and heavy lances.
diebold of neuchatel has the seat of honor in the center of the grandstands as the royal herald announces the first round of the day: prince arthur of england and prince louis of france are as good representatives of their countries as their homelands would ever have, from their poised stances to their centuries old rivalries. the first loss of the day is from england, as the blunt of louis’ lance nearly throws the duke of york from his horse. the audience gasps as the younger man dismounts, showing no visible injuries but the rushing from the medical staff to aid the losing party tells the bruise to the englishman’s ego was not the only damage endured. the commotion distracts the ones with less attention from the manner in which the duke of alençon’s smile is a dazed one as he goes to receive his handshake from the king as the victorious one.
the second match is also one that could easily spark conflict between the already frail franco - english relations as the countries’ acclaimed heirs, prince james of wales and duke charles of orléans, face one another. the results mirror that of their brothers’, with the prince of england’s grasp on his lance slackening at the weaponry clash. the tudor heir is guided to be patched up by his own men, while the infamous charles de valois soaks up on the heat of the sun and of the loud cheers congratulating his win for the day. perhaps age and experience do count better than the vivaciousness of youth, is a scornful murmur spread across the french and ottoman allied’s seats.
the last clash before the pause before lunchtime is one of knights of spring, the governor of brazil antónio de bragança and the young prodigy of the french army adhémar de valois. there is, at least apparently, less resentment between the two riders and the king of switzerland seems thoroughly content to see the perfect representation of the utopia of friendship and entertainment diebold enjoys to preach, but the match does not leave any man unscathed. the infante of portugal’s helmet is removed to reveal small slashes across his forehead and cheek from the splinters of the torn - up lance of his opponent, while the marquess of orléans’ wrist is rather swollen, causing diebold to opt by congratulating the frenchman with a pat to the back for his outstanding performance on the fields.
with the impressive results all favoring france, there is amusement in the king’s face as he draws the combatants for the next rounds ─ either way it is thrown, soon enough there would be father against son or brother against brother, and a man as humorous as the neuchatel king finds much enjoyment that, if anything, there will not be as much bloodshed between family as there would be between enemies on the next day. at last, it is diebold himself who announces that the semi - final participants will be the marquess of orléans adhémar de valois against louis de valois, the duke of alençon ; the father of the first, charles de valois, would stay by the sidelines until a winner emerges between his brother and his son.
as discussed with the respective muns of the participating characters, each character has been matched with an appropriate, approved injury, each one’s severity triggered by their qualifications on their own match and the injuries previously sustained just a day before, for those who participated on the melee.
the results of this match were calculated by each character’s physical points plus each character’s luck points, as seen here.
adhémar of france : 41, who has suffered a sprained wrist.
arthur of england : 24, who has suffered a dislocated shoulder.
antónio of portugal : 28, who has suffered minor cuts on the forehead / cheek area.
charles of france : 34.
louis of france : 31, who has suffered a minor concussion.
james of england : 22, who has suffered a sprained wrist.
the next round’s order of participants that was chosen by a random generator : adhémar de valois vs louis de valois.
due to the results of the matches and the manner in which the semi finals and the finals have been drawn, we ask that if any questions or poignant opinions arise, especially between the involved characters ( @louisoffrance ; @marqvess ; @charlesoforleans ) and their muns, please reach out for the admin team as soon as possible so those can be reflected upon the final’s results that will be announced tomorrow ( the 04th of february 2020 ).
the twenty ninth of the first month of 1559 is noted as the clearest day to grace switzerland yet, a gift from the heavens well - appreciated by the contestants of the archery competition that takes place after lunchtime. its winner, a lady from the moscovians lands, princess irina trubetskaya of bely, is announced after one last victorious shot. the blonde is called to the center stage and greeted by the king himself, who gifts her an arrow of solid gold as the prize for her prowess at the archery fields.
following irina’s outstanding performance, the competitors ranked, from second to last are: margaret tudor of england, joachim kostka of poland, giovanna de medici of tuscany who tied with vitória de bragança of portugal and, at last, yi seonhwa of joseon.
king diebold gives his appreciation to all who participated and who cheered on their champions, before cheekily ordering the onlookers to collect the results of their bets to spend on tonight’s supper.
the results of this match were calculated by each character's luck points + physical points, as seen here.
