#dps updates

[vlarovena]

The Voronin Family.

Crest: A two-headed board with a spear on one side and a parchment to symbolize alliances on the other side.

Current Residence: The capitol city Angavda of the country Nazadar within the Cal Kastiya. The royal palace in the city center is surrounded by high walls, lush gardens, and sprawling food markets.

Years ruling: 132 years. The Voronins took the throne by force two generations ago. Vlarov Kazimir Vornin’s grandfather slaughtered the royal family to seize power and was killed a few years later by an organized rebellion.

Vlarov: Kazimir Maximovish Voronin, aged sixty-two. Wed to Anfisa Igorevna Paelov-Vornin twenty-one years. Father of three children. Protector of Nazadar. Butcher of Blue Hollow.

Vlarovitsa: Anfisa Igorevna Paelov-Vornin, aged thirty-six. Wed to Vlarov Kazimir Maximovish Voronin twenty-one years. Mother of three children. Pianist. Midwife.

Heir to the Throne // Vlarovich: Ioann Kazimirevitch Voronin, aged twelve. Unwed. Promised to the daughter of the Paelov family.

Heiress // Vlarovena: Irinushka “Irina” Kazimirevna Voronin, aged eighteen. Unwed. Unpromised.

Second Heiress // Vlarovena: Katya “Iya” Kazimirevna Voronin, aged sixteen. Unwed. Unpromised.

Above is the quick and dirty for the Voronin family! They are the current ruling family for Nazadar and are equally feared and respected by their subjects. Below is the more of an in-depth look into how their family interacts with each other and the city/country around them.

Taglist: @beatlesandbards, @ambrosichor, @neothespian​, @24hourauthor​

TW: blood/gore, descriptions of slight gore, description of an arranged marriage to a minor

The Voronin family is equally tight-knit and aloof. 

The children are incredibly close and were glued to each other’s hips when they were younger. Katya and Irina often bicker but are thicker than thieves and help one another through trials and tribulations. As they have aged, they have grown apart from their mother and don’t understand why she is so distant with them. Because of their mother’s typically cold attitude, they helped to raise their younger brother when he was born. Unlike with the girls, their mother doted on the young Ioann and he had to attention of both of his parents where the girls only had a scowl from their father and surface-level interactions with their mother.

This made the girls fiercely independent and taught them to rely on each other. On the other hand, Ioann has a different understanding of their parents’ love as he has been doted on, educated, and provided for since he was an infant. He is at an age where he is still allowed to be a child but is quickly learning that he will have to “man up” and be prepared to take control over the country at any time. 

Vlarovitsa Anfisa was promised to the Vlarov when she was twelve, wed when she was fifteen and had her first child when she was eighteen. Anfisa knew that she would be wed to the Vlarov but she didn’t expect it to come while she was still young - but that didn’t stop her excitement. She loved children and looked forward to having her own. For the first few years of her daughter's lives she was present, loving, doting, caring, and everything she had been taught to be as a mother. But as the years stretched between pregnancies and an heir didn’t seem to be coming, her marriage and standing within the court grew strained. They tried experimental methods to have an heir - trips to witches in the southern woods, strange drinks and exercise, blessings by religious leaders, and other methods that Anfisa had blocked out. She was exhausted, heartbroken, and distancing herself from her family when she finally found out that she was pregnant. Suddenly, her husband didn’t look at her as a failure and question whether she was withholding an heir from him on purpose. But those years between children showed Anfisa the dark, insecure, violent side to her husband and she vowed that she wouldn’t be weak in this court that would chew up and spit her out.

Kazimir Voronin is the first son of four to his father Maxim Voronin. Two of his brothers died during the Red War and his surviving brother holds lands in their western region. He served alongside his siblings during the Red War, a war fought between the Voronin and their supporters against rebellious lords to their north. Some of those in the north argued the legitimacy of the Voronin family rule due to their nature of taking what wasn’t theirs and claiming it. The war lasted two years and came to a head at the Battle of Blue Hollow, where it was rumored that Vlarov Kazimir butchered the noble family in front of their soldiers and hung their corpses from streetlights for all to see. He was labeled as the Butcher of Blue Hollow just one year before his son was born, further solidifying him as the ruler of Nazadar. 

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Let me know if you have any questions about these babes and how they interact with one another. I can’t wait to flesh out their dialogue! ✨

[vlarovena]

Don’t Promise Spring

ROMANCE. PERIOD FICTION. NEW ADULT or YA. TRAGEDY.

genre: romance, fantasy, tragedy rating/category: 16+ // new adult, YA pov: third person in past tense, four POVs status: just finished plotting, writing out scene cards now themes: breaking tradition, carving your own path, finding love in unlikely places, you are greater than the sum of your parts, pride and prejudice, corrupt government, uprisings and rebellions, bloodshed, war, espionage, treason, betrayal, political intrigue, romance, 

Tropes Explored: Enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, unrequited love, hopelessness, societal pressure leading to decisions, weight of the world

Warnings: some graphic descriptions of violence, light sexual scenes, and sudden and semi-graphic character death.

The official introduction for my WIP Don’t Promise Spring. A novel set in a fictional Russian-Esque country filled with war-tired subjects and war-hungry nobles. Set in the capital of Nazadar, named Angavda, the novel will take place during the Festival of Spring to celebrate the end of winter. It focuses on the nobles who have the chance to make a difference but they will have to sort out their own problems first. This novel will feature four POVs: Vlarovena Irinushka Voronin, Lord Artur Faline, Vlarovena Katya Voronin, and Lord Mischa Ivanov. 

On this blog, I’ll post character introductions, excerpts, aesthetics, playlists, and anything else that has to do with this wonderful work! Below is a look at the four main POV characters but 250 characters is hardly enough to explain these babies so please follow! 

[WIP Tag]    [Don’t Promise Spring - Pinterest]

I love being a part of this world and I’d love for you to join me! The taglist is at the end of this post - please let me know if you’d like to be added!

Main Characters:

Vlarovena Irinushka “Irina” Voronin // 18 - She/Her - Nazadarian

The heiress to the Nazadarian throne is a fickle one; she is stubborn and strong-willed with a slight disposition of distrust towards men. She thinks them to be arrogant and bloodthirsty by nature. Irina wants to break tradition in her family, stray away from war and focus instead on her people, but Nazadar has always been ruled by an iron fist. Her mother is pushing her to marry and her father is getting himself into more danger every day. The throne is looming over their family and while Irina is not the first in line it would not be the first time for the second child to rule Nazadar. During the Festival of Spring, dozens of “suitable bachelors” descend onto the capitol but Irina doesn’t have time for any of them, much less the one who’s charm is only skin deep and seems to be hiding secrets.

Lord Artur Faline of Provo // 27 - He/Him - Nazadarian

Lord Artur of Provo is a kind man who leads his providence on the Western coast of Nazadar with a soft hand. Artur is a healer and a scholar who watches over his people with kind eyes and tries to make decision to help them the most. His providence has been a melting pot for the refugees of countless wars for centuries but the constant war is putting a strain on their resources and comfort. Frustrated and determined, he travels with his sister Liliya to Angavda to have an audience with the Vlarov but he finds himself entangled in petty politics and more entertwined with the heiress more than he would like to be.

Vlarovena Katya “Iya” Voronin // 16 - She/Her - Nazadarian

Katya is a young soul who thrives on fairy tales and soft words. She has a radiant smile and a golden heart but she is too self-sacrificing to show it to anyone. She does not care about the crown or the weight it holds but she cares about the people around her and only wants to see them happy. When a young Lord comes to court her sister, she has no choice but to put her budding feelings aside and help him catch her eye.

Lord Mischa Ivanov // 24 - He/Him - Nazadarian

A soldier in the Vlarov’s army who should have never been the head of his family. Ill-suited to the job and with his grandmother running thr show behind him, Mischa ventures to the capitol to attempt to catch the eye of the heiress to the Nazadarian throne. Unfortunately, he is as skilled at court as he is with women; but when the youngest Vlarovena offers to help him catch her eye, he can’t help but say yes.

Taglist: @beatlesandbards, @ambrosichor, @neothespian​, @24hourauthor​, @quilloftheclouds​, @hoarderofwords, @manic-pixie-lesbian

psd credit: @blossomov​

[vlarovena]

Welcome to the first world-building post for JAMBR (WIP title) !

JAMBR is lovingly labeled “Jane Austen Meets the Bolshevik Revolution”. It is a romantic comedy and tragedy set in a fiction pseudo-Russian country. Set at the end of winter, the country’s capital is celebrating the coming of spring (which really only means slightly less snow than before and some green grass). The court is structured like a Russian court with a reigning Tsar and a royal family with an emphasis on the male heir and a focus on creating allies through marriage and trading agreements.

Below I’ve broken down the various titles that the characters will be called through the novel. Vlarov etc is a royal title that everyone is expected to refer to the royal family as but those close to the family or in a similar caste can refer to them as the second line of titles. 

Vlarov - leader        Also called: Emperor, My Superior, Lord Ruler Vlarovitsa - leader’s wife       Also called: High Consort, Your Highness, My Superior Vlarovich - leader’s son and Heir       Also called: My Baron, Your Highness Vlarovena - Leader’s Daughter and Heiress       Also called: Duchess, Your Highness

All of the daughters of the Vlarov are called Vlarovena and all of the sons are called Vlarovich. There is no word for Queen but Vlarovitsa means “King’s hand”. Below are the current members of the ruling family in their birth order. 

Vlarov - Kazimir Voronin Vlarovitsa - Anfisa Paelov-Voronin (POV) Vlarovena - Irinushka “Irina” Voronin (POV) Vlarovena - Katya “Iya” Voronin (POV) Vlarovich - Ioann (Pronounced Ian) Voronin

Ask any questions you have about these babes! ✨

[vlarovena]

The Ivanov Family.

Crest: A stag with a scroll above its head that reads “In Unity We Thrive” and flanked by turtles doves.

Current Residence: An eastern providence named Ilsyvich. It is a mostly wooded province with many cities along its main trade route that snakes through the forests. Rich with woodland culture and mead breweries.

Lord Ivanov: Mischa Mikhaïlovitch Ivanov, aged twenty-four. Unwed. Unpromised. Soldier in the Vlarov’s Army. Second son to Mikhaïl Ivanov. Recently discharged from the Isles War.

Lady Sabina: Sabina Igorevna Ivanova, aged sixty-one. Wed to Lord Sasha Vadimovitch Ivanov thirty-two years before he died during the Red War. Mother of two children. Grandmother to Lord Mischa Ivanov.

Lord Feliks: Lord Feliks Mikhaïlovitch Ivanov, aged thirteen. Unwed. Unpromised.

Lady Rosa: Rosa Mikhaïlovitch Ivanova, aged eleven. Unwed. Unpromised.

Above is the quick and dirty for the Ivanov family! They are one of the noble families within Nazadar that visit Angavda during the festival. Below is the more of an in-depth look into how their family interacts with each other and the city/country around them.

Taglist: @beatlesandbards, @ambrosichor, @neothespian​, @24hourauthor​, @quilloftheclouds​

Lord Mischa Ivanov is was the second heir to the Ivanov household but after his father died during the Red War and his brother died during the Isles War, he became their leader. Behind closed doors, Mischa doesn’t believe that he has what it takes to lead his noble family. He was raised to be a soldier for the Vlarov and he is through and through a soldier. He doesn’t understand the pettiness of politics and courtship because his father and mother taught him different skills; combat, maintaining a farm, and accounting. Despite this, Mischa wants to do what is right for his family - even if he doesn’t know exactly what that is.

Lady Sabina Ivanova is Lord Mischa, Lord Feliks, and Lady Rosa’s grandmother. She has been well ingrained in high society and acts as the raven on Mischa’s shoulder- whispering ideas to him in ways that he can understand. She loves her family but her actions can sometimes be described as calculating or cold; she often acts with a purpose and that purpose is usually furthering her family. She is caring and empathetic but also guarded, as one must be in high society.

Lord Feliks and Lady Rosa are thick as thieves and love to run around together getting into trouble and creating headaches for Lady Sabina. They both adore frogs and bugs, often putting them in suitcases, flower vases, anywhere they can be stored for the two children to find later. Mischa wants to give them time to be children, despite Lady Sabina’s not-so-subtle hints to promise them to other noble houses. They’re young and wild and should be allowed to before life slaps them.

[vlarovena]

She was a sunflower, refusing to     B E N D     to the sun.

Katya “Iya” Voronin is the youngest daughter and the second child of the Vlarov Voronin. The vlarovena is one of six POVs that readers will see in the upcoming novel. She is third in line for the throne and lives her life as though she is reading it from a book. She’s dramatic, serious, playful, and rarely pragmatic. Her sister, Irina, often describes her as “having her fingers in the dirt and her feet in the treetops”, believing that she rarely perceives life and situations as they truly are. 

Despite her family’s beliefs about her, Katya is daring and brave and she fights for what she believes in by jumping headfirst into problems and situations. The sixteen-year-old vlarovena is commonly overlooked by those in the court, their eyes instead being on the heir and heiress. She dreams of finding her storybook love and being taken on adventures! She’s well-read and often has a book or two on her person at all times, not so unlike her sister, but she tends to read romances and wild fairytales. 

Katya is kind and caring, fiercely protective and loyal of her family, and just a little imaginative. She loves her family and she loves their country. She will do whatever she must to keep them together and safe.

Taglist: @beatlesandbards, @ambrosichor, @neothespian​

Ask me all the questions about the resident sweetheart with a sharp tongue and a roaming mind! Also, let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

[vlarovena]

PLOTTING IS FINISHED. HELL YEAH. ✨🤘🏻

[vlarovena]

I think I have 90% of my main plot nailed down for JAMBR. Now to work on the subplots and character connections and I’ll be done plotting! Hoping to have this done by Jan 1. 👏🏻✨