Just an author who came to Tumblr! Decent writer, mediocre artist. Creator of They Who Hide Under Top Hats. Also check out my cover artist/sister, @the-spectre-draws-near!
Introduction I: The Circle
Introduction II: The Order of Man
Characters and Story Summary
Main series:
Act I
Part 1: The Terrance Montgomery Ploy
Part 2: The Rogues
Part 3: The Bribe
Part 4: The House of Demon
Part 5: The Gathering
Part 6: The Renegades
Part 7: A Bloody Fair
Part 8: The Children
Part 9: The Mirror
Part 10: Timothy Montgomery
Part 11: The Outlaws
Part 12: The Letter I
Part 13: The Letter II
Part 14: The Ceremony I
Part 15: The Ceremony II
Part 16: The Ceremony III
Part 17: The Ceremony IV
Part 18: The Ceremony V
Act II
Part 19: The Rosefield Conspiracy
Part 20: The Runaways
Side Stories:
The Hunters Carrington
Part 1: The Interview
Part 2: The Foundling House
Miscellaneous Posts:
Lore:
Genetics of the Great Houses
Powers of the Great Houses
The Gallery of Saints
The Organizational Structure of the Circle
The House on No 9, Allison Street
Demon Family Tree (457- present AF)
The Rule of the 3rds (Genetics of the GHs)
The Hierarchy of the Order of Man
The Steel Queen and the War of the Coin
The Woodland Folk of the Arylmoor
The Red Century and the War of the Banners
Olivia B. Sorah
Songs/Poems:
Our Foregone Home
When the Hunters Come
The Street Singer's Greeting
The March of the Sun Soldiers
Righteous We
Comics:
Brambleton Tales: Sea of Starry Lights (Redrawn)
Brambleton Tales: Sea of Starry Lights
Brambleton Tales: Flowers
The King and his Children
The King and his Children II
The King and his Children III
Visions of the Last Symphony
The Last Child of the Fire I
The Last Child of the Fire II
???
DISCORD SERVER | TUMBLR COMMUNITY | OFFICIAL BLOG |INSTAGRAM | AO3
Yep guess who ran out of post ideas again! Although i do have an excuse because my big evil final boss of tests is in like two days. So i think imma post this here and then take some time away from tumblr until my next break.
But yea gotta make this quick so that's all for now, thanks and cheerio! :D
Yep guess who ran out of post ideas again! Although i do have an excuse because my big evil final boss of tests is in like two days. So i think imma post this here and then take some time away from tumblr until my next break.
But yea gotta make this quick so that's all for now, thanks and cheerio! :D
Yep, after 13 long, frustrating and incredibly fun years, today was my last day of school. Never again will I have to wear a boring ahh uniform and carry around way more books than i need...and never again will i be able to draw lil doodles (like this one) in the library in the middle of the day.
Frankly for the longest time, like any normal teenager, i despised school. The homework, the loud noises...math, god it was all very annoying. But as time went on, i grew to love it. Because that was where i learned to be myself, to embrace my passion as a writer. So, now that it's all over, i just feel sad and empty inside. Even today, while i was standing by my school gate i couldn't help but get a little teary eyed while the lyrics of my favorite song (Land of Hope and Dreams by Bruce Spingsteen) rang in my head. It was almost...too much to deal with.
Now, personally, i have always had trouble letting go of things. I am clingy and very sentimental about seemingly meaningless things. And in the case of my school, there was just too much i loved and cherished that i just didn't wanna leave behind. My classmates, my teachers, that one security guard with strangely red eyes, i just wish i could stay there forever and be happy. But unfortunately, life just doesnt work that way, and i must inevitably grow up.
ngl, im getting a lil sad just typing this but still, getting this off my chest has already made me feel better. Its just hard to lose such a foundational part of my life in one day, ya know?
But yea, i think imma cut myself off here. To anyone who read this, thank you, I really appreciate it.
SNEAK PEEK (yay!) They Who Hide Under Top Hats: Part XXI: The Dance of the Betrayer
“Now, as I understand it, your family’s company has been supplying the state with munitions for almost forty years, yes?”
“Indeed sir, my father was the one who won us our contract, it was first signed by Mayor Thomas Montgomery himself!” Winny exclaimed proudly, to which Victor chuckled.
“Yes, must have been quite an honor. However, upon reviewing your father’s agreement, I couldn’t help but feel it is… unjust.”
Winny raised his eyebrow. “Really? How so?”
“Well from what I’ve seen your company’s stock is of the finest quality. Yet compared to the state’s annual expenditure on arms, you’ve been given only a small piece of the pie.” Victor explained before he raised both his eyebrows at Winny. “Does that not strike you as a bit unfair, Mr. Wolt?”
Winny looked Victor with an expression of disbelief, and Jasper could see an undertone of restrained excitement, as though he were laying witness to an opportunity of a lifetime. “Why yes, indeed it does, sir!” he exclaimed passionately. “I’m afraid despite our superior offerings we’ve always been overlooked in favor our older more entrenched rivals! It was a bias my father had to contend with since the day he started the company from inside his small workshop on the streets of Demonum!”
Victor nodded along, seemingly moved by Winny’s story, though Jasper was convinced that it was nothing more than an act. “Well, now that is quite the folly on the part of the state, Mr. Wolt. A folly that, in both my and the Grand-Prince’s opinion, should be rectified.”
(The TWHUTH webseries -> Tumblr | Ao3)
NOTES:
Ok i am STILL ON FIRE YALL, its been less than two weeks and I've already written like 4,000 words across both TWHUTH Chapter 21 and THC Chapter 3!
Although I'm seriously running out of time to be this productive, my big bad final boss of tests starts on monday and i'm afraid. But eh, i've kinda accepted my incoming armageddon, its not like i can do anything to avoid it. Doesn't stop my chest from hurting rgt before i got to bed tho ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Anyways, Imma cut myself short here cause im typing this in the middle of the night and i really gotta go sleep. Thanks and cheerio for now! :D
Community Tagline: @harleyacoincidence, @autism-purgatory, @rivenantiqnerd, @sm-writes-chaos, @hellothere2009, @drvonchickenstein, @pluppsauthor, @alice-exists369
SNEAK PEEK (free healthcare for days) The Hunters Carrington: Part III - The Angels of the Golden Sun
“It’s you, sir!” he gasped as he shoved his suitcase aside and stood up.
“I see your up and well, Mr. Carrington.” Mr. Oswell replied with a smile as his eyes examined him from head to toe. “Tell me, how do you feel? I see your memory is still intact, which is already a very good sign.”
“I feel perfectly alright, sir!” Carter answered sternly. “But if I may ask, w…”
“Excellent!” Mr. Oswell exclaimed, cutting Carter off mid-sentence as he then turned to the old man standing behind him. “If you’ve already concluded all the required examinations, then I think it’s time Mr. Carrington here was released.”
The old man glanced at Carter for a second before nodding reluctantly, he then turned around and walked away, leaving Carter alone with Mr. Carrington. Despite Mr. Oswell’s calm and cheery demeanor, Carter could help but feel a little uneasy. He knew the only way they could’ve moved him to this unknown location without his knowledge or recollection was by putting him to sleep with the use of a drug, and he suspected that that drug was administered via the bottle the drink he had had at the end of their interview. That alone made him wary and untrusting of Mr. Oswell, though he knew that showing such feelings openly would be unwise.
“Pick up your things and come with me.” Mr. Oswell instructed as he began walked towards the door.
(The Hunters Carrington series -> Tumblr | Ao3)
NOTES:
I've been on fire for the past few days frfr! Managed to get both this chapter and TWHUTH chapter 21 to pass a 1000 words thanks to my new 1000 by 1000 system! Ngl, its prolly one of the best ideas ive come up with in terms of actually preventing burnout so hopefully i'll be able to stick to it consistently for the next... 3 months... oh god...
Anyways that aside i fear my current productivity streak might be short lived given that my big bad final boss of tests is in like... a little over a week. So fingers crossed i dont die of stress before the end of next month.
Anyways, thanks and cheerio for now! :D
Community Tagline: @harleyacoincidence, @autism-purgatory, @rivenantiqnerd, @sm-writes-chaos, @hellothere2009, @drvonchickenstein, @pluppsauthor, @alice-exists369
SNEAK PEEK (WE ARE SO BACK) They Who Hide Under Top Hats: Part XXI: The Dance of the Betrayer
It was at that moment that Jasper interrupted him as his nerves compelled him to intervene. “Alright I think that’s quite enough for now!” he uttered, nudging his cousin’s hand off his shoulder before placing his head over his cousin’s ear and whispering his true intentions. His words finally seemed to make his cousin realize the severity of the situation.
“My apologies, but it appears I must take my leave for there is something urgent that I must attend to. But don’t worry! I swear I shall catch up with all of you shortly, good day!” he said suddenly before bowing to the crowd and following Jasper as they walked to the grand double door that led out of the hall.
“What could he possibly have to discuss with us at this moment?” he huffed angrily. “Tonight is supposed to be our family’s night of glory, and he dares waste our time on some last-minute appointment!”
“Well, we don’t have a choice, Winny. Things have changed for us now that I’m the new face of the government. Now would you please calm down!” Jasper urged as two servants in gray uniform who stood on either side of the door opened it for them as they walked towards it. Beyond door was wide hallway adorned with gold and ancient portraits. They then walked a few dozen feet until they reached an equally grand yet much smaller door. Before they both entered, they both stood in front of the door and adjusted their suits to appear as respectable as humanly possible, and Jasper looked at his cousin once more. He knew him well enough to see the anger and hurt pride bubbling beneath his refined formal façade, and it worried him.
(The TWHUTH webseries -> Tumblr | Ao3)
NOTES:
That's right... after a month of trying my hiatus is officially dead. Proving that once again i am weak in the face of my creation... AHH
on the other hand, WE ARE SO BACK! I've started both TWHUTH Chapter 21, which already passed 1000 words and THC Chapter 3, which is at around 300 words. Of course, like always the actual release is still months away because the universe hates me buuuut it looks like i still havent lost my groove!
But yea, thats about it for now, thanks and cheerio! :D
Community Tagline: @harleyacoincidence, @autism-purgatory, @rivenantiqnerd, @sm-writes-chaos, @hellothere2009, @drvonchickenstein, @pluppsauthor, @alice-exists369
another small post cause once again i'm too busy to come up with anything else :(
It took me like 3 minutes to sketch this but it is a interesting piece of lore that i dont think i've explored that much in TWHUTH, which is the spectrum between Flame and Flesh that all the species in TWHUTH exist in.
Basically the key idea is that the races such as a the Puppet Folk, the Children of the Moor and basically all plants, came from the Flame while humans and all the animals came from the 'flesh' (aka the Demons of the Abyss) with the Circulions being in the dead center since they have both.
There's a lot more i wanna say about this, i might even make a whole post about it later, but im hella tired rgt now so thats all imma say. Thanks and cheerio! :D
Community Tagline: @harleyacoincidence, @autism-purgatory, @rivenantiqnerd, @sm-writes-chaos, @hellothere2009, @drvonchickenstein, @pluppsauthor, @alice-exists369
TWHUTH Lore: Summary of the History of Hatlynshire (7 BF - 160 AF)
(The TWHUTH webseries -> Tumblr | Ao3)
NOTES: Welp i did say i'd focus more on the lore of TWHUTH! Although i put summary in air quotes here since this post is 4,000 words long lol.
Ik I've already gone into some of this lore before, especially the lore about Victoria's first reign buuuut i have included a lot of new stuff and i think it paints a clearer and broader picture as a whole since it feels more complete. I think after this i'll actually extend further into the timeline into more uncharted territory maybe.
Also, here's some charts for added context too, enjoy! :D
Introduction
The Government of Hatlynshire is the oldest and largest continuous governing entity in the world. With its origins dating back millennia to the days of Hatlyn, first King of Hatlyn’s Shire, who was the first to unite the entirety of Man under a single government. Ever since then, the government has existed in some form despite all the conflicts and strife that befell the country in the succeeding centuries.
The earliest roots of the current government date back to the around 3 BF, when Grand-Prince St George Montgomery fought in the War of the Lords (7 BF – 3 BF), which resulted in the newly established House of Montgomery ending the previous administrative system which had been introduced by their predecessors, the House of Bracksburg more than a century prior. The old system, whereby the Kingdom of Old Hatlynshire was made up of many decentralized and semi-autonomous lands governed by individual lords loosely ruled over by the Grand-Prince in the City of Hatlynshire, was replaced with a system whereby the lords, having been stripped of their lands after the war, were given hereditary seats in the newly established Chamber of the Governing Commission (C.G.C), an advisory body that formed the heart of new centralized state with the royal house at its center, maintaining near total control.
(Note: Shortly after the creation of the new government, the land which had once been divided among many noble houses became one united mass, and thus the people began to call it ‘The Great Borough’)
It was with this newfound power that St George and the House of Montgomery would then enter the Last War of Folk and Men (2 BF – 0 BF) and achieve total victory at the Field of Triumph during the Last Battle of Folk and Men, resulting in the dissolution of the Kingdom of the Folk and establishment of the Kingdom of Hatlynshire as the world’s sole government.
Saint George’s Successors
Shortly after the death of St George, his son and adopted daughter, Thomas and St Annalise, would create the Order of Tarthold, the section of the Hatlynshire Army created to hunt down the last of the Folk and act as the personal guard of the royal house, and the Office of Royal Affairs, the department that handled the house’s private endeavors.)
Decades later, St George’s grandson, Claude the Sickly (20 AF – 56 AF) would pass reforms that once again changed the government after an assassination attempt on him and his family during the year 50 AF, these reforms would elevate the C.G.C from an advisory body all the way up to the main administrative body of Hatlynshire by giving it the power to have final say over all royal decrees. His reign would also see the creation and spread of Industrialist ideology, eventually leading to the creation of the decentralized coalition known as the New Industrialist Movement (N.I.M).
(Note: Prior to the formation of the N.I.M, the early industrialists would leave Great Borough in droves and settles in the far-off countryside which was now free of danger since the fall of the Woodland Folk. There they would form their own communities and expand further into the Arylmoor. Eventually, the land they inhabited would eventually be split into eight new boroughs, which would be known as the Outer Boroughs. This exodus of individuals to the far reaches of Hatlynshire’s territory would be known as the Great Expansion.)
Further reforms would be given out during reign of Claude’s wife, Alissa Cristenwall (22 – 90 AF), who acted a regent for their son following Claude’s untimely demise in 56 AF. Alissa’s reluctant reforms would strip the royal house of its abilities to issue decrees entirely, reducing the royal house down to a mere rubber stamp.
(Note: Alissa would also spend a significant amount of her regency expanding and strengthening the Order of Tarthold, one of the few remaining sections of government that the royal house had complete power over, turning it into a personal police force. However, towards the end of her reign, the C.G.C argued that the Order was a part of the government, and thus should not be under the thumb of the crown, so they undid many of her changes and made is so that the royal house could only utilize the Order as it is, with future changes having to be approved by the C.G.C.)
The Steel Queen
Fortunately, the decline of the royal house would be reversed following Alissa’s abdication in 67 AF in favor of her eldest daughter, Victoria Montgomery (47 – 135 AF), who proceeded to declare her mother’s reforms to be illegitimate. However, she was met with severe resistance from the C.G.C, to which she responded by rallying public support via the Monument Address, where she proceeded to expose the C.G.C for all its faults. The uproar following the address coupled with her popularity led to the ousting the noble families entirely and replacing them with elected officials, creating the first democratic institution in modern Hatlynshire history. It would also lead to the overturning of Alissa’s reforms and the regaining of some of the royal house’s lost power.
(Note: The C.G.C members were originally meant to serve three-year terms, however that was extended to five years in the year 84 AF by a law presented by Bernard Sorah (50 – 126 AF), starting with the Election of 85 AF. And despite its democratic nature, the new C.G.C was heavily influenced by the royal house, with Victoria and her successors using their popularity to provide candidates that favored them an advantage via funding and endorsement.)
With the C.G.C in her pocket, Victoria would engage in several notable events throughout the 70s and 80s AF, such as successfully maintaining power throughout the Years of Hunger (69 – 73 AF), a food blockage inflicted on Great Borough by the N.I.M, the assassination of industrialist figures such as Corsman Gaft in 75 AF, finally defeating the New Industrialist Movement (N.I.M) during the War of the Coin (79 – 89 AF), changing Hatlynshire’s currency from Beauro to Sorasy with the help of the politician Bernard Sorah, creating the first state owned corporations in the form of the Great Enterprises and expanding the government by establishing key government institutes such as the Bureau of Taxation and Commerce and the Lower House of the C.G.C which represented the newly recognized Outer Boroughs of Hatlynshire.
The New Century Conspiracy and the Liberationists
And so, the government would remain somewhat constant until the year 100 AF, when Victoria would be overthrown by her younger brother Carlton Montgomery (56 – 129 AF) and his supporters, the Liberationists, during the New Century Conspiracy. Once in power Carlton would establish the Office of Internal Regulation, whose stated purpose was to investigate government corruption, though its first years were spent mainly purging the government of his enemies. He would also force the C.G.C to pass legislation that gave the crown more influence, making him the most powerful Grand-Prince since his grandfather, Thomas Montgomery.
However, Carlton’s reforms would be short-lived as his reign of terror would end when he was dethroned by Victoria in counter coup in the year 105 AF. And upon her return to the throne, she would undo many of her brother’s decrees and relinquish some of the power he had attained in order to satisfy her supporters, though she would keep many of the departments he had added, including the Office of Internal Regulation.
The Government of Hatlynshire would once again stay relatively the same for the next few decades, with only minor reforms being implemented as the Monarchist faction competed with the Liberationists. Both sides would be supported by the Industrialists, who still held power over the Outer Boroughs, and they engaged in decades of political conflict in the streets and polls of Great Borough. During this period the Liberationists would slowly chip away at monarchial power through acts such as amending the Treaty of the Enterprises (first established after the War of the Coin) to strip the crown of its power to appoint unelected members to the Lower House of the C.G.C following their victory in the election of 120 AF.
The War of the Banners
This state of unrest continued even after Victoria passed away in the year 135 AF, an event that was followed by the ascension of her twin nephews William (82 – 163 AF) and Wyatt (82 – 167 AF) (together known as the Brothers Montgomery) as Co-Grand Princes of Hatlynshire. However, things would once again change seven years later in the year 142 AF, when the Tapston Tragedy would occur and expose the existence of the folk nearly one hundred fifty years after their supposed extinction. This revelation would shake the government to its very core, causing mass panic within the state. It was at this moment that the Brothers Montgomery would act. After convincing the Hatlynshire City United Press Company to suppress these revelations, they would demand that the government repeal the rules implemented during Alissa’s regency and return full control of the Tartman back into the hands of the royal house, which the C.G.C would agree to on the condition that such control be on a temporary basis.
Once the Tartman were under their control, the Brothers Montgomery would immediately disband them and reform them as the Hunters, a much larger organization operating on a much deeper level of secrecy. With this new force, the Brothers Montgomery would fight throughout the Outer Boroughs during the War of the Banners. The chaos caused during the war would also allow the Monarchist faction to sweep decisive victories against the Liberationists in the C.G.C elections of 145 AF and 150 AF. However, after the conflict continued to persist the Liberationists were once again able to gain a majority in the election of 155 AF. The Liberationists would then raise concerns regarding the Brothers Montgomery’s use of the Hunters, and so they would pressure the royal house to end its temporary control. Fortunately, the War of the Banners would come to an end in 158 AF, when the Campaign of Lies performed by the newly united Circle would result in the government recalling all the Hunters back to Great Borough. Once their withdrawal from the Outer Boroughs was complete, the Liberationist controlled government would demand that the Brothers Montgomery hand over control, to which they would agree.
The Heavenfall Papers
A few months after the transfer took place, an officer in the Office of Internal Regulation named Mr. William Upton would find out that the vast majority of the living Hunters who had served in the War of the Banners had resigned or had transferred out of the order following the handover, with the majority of them being hired by the Office of Royal Affairs with the rest scattering throughout the ranks of the Hatlynshire Army and the lower levels of the government. Thinking his finding were quite strange, he would present this information to an official of the C.G.C, Mr. Branson Millfield II (. However, Millfield would initially reject Upton’s concerns before referring him to his superior, Olivia B. Sorah (86 – 181 AF) (daughter of Bernard Sorah), the Head Treasurer of the Bureau of Taxation and Commerce and the C.G.C member who sat on in the seat of Georenberg (making her the unofficial head of the C.G.C). In response to this, Olivia would allow the Office of Internal Regulation to investigate the Office of Royal Affairs and how it was funding such a massive number of staff despite the limited funding it received from the Bureau of Taxation and Commerce. The Brothers Montgomery would respond to this by explaining that the House of Montgomery would privately fund any deficit incurred. This explanation would satisfy the C.G.C and the investigation. However, William Upton along with some of his associates would continue to look into the royal house.
Upton’s independent inquiry would finally culminate in scandal when one of Upton’s subordinates, Mr. Ian Gottfried, was caught stealing documents from the Hall of Saint George. Gottfied would be arrested within days of the crime by the Hatlynshire army before being sent to prison (after which point he was never seen again), however within that time he had managed to send a letter to Upton containing the stolen documents. Documents that Upton, a monarchist supporter, would then hand over to Mr. Urston Pott, the C.G.C member who sat on the seat of Canterberg and the de facto leader of the Liberationists in Great Borough. The documents, known as the Heavenfall Papers, would reveal an alleged plot by the Brothers Montgomery to arm their newly hired staff and lead a hostile takeover of the Hatlynshire government with the support of the old nobility and several prominent industrialists.
Upon receiving the papers, Pott attempted to have them published by the Hatlynshire City United Press Company, however Mr. Joseph Dart, the director and chief editor of the company as well as a friend of the Brothers Montgomery, rejected Pott’s requests, deeming the papers too speculative and unsupported. But Pott was not deterred, seeing the papers as a way of turning the public against the monarchists, went to a smaller independent publication, the Renanberg Journal, and there in the spring of 159 AF, the Heavenfall Paper were made public.
The War of the Trinity
Public uproar was immediate, mobs would fill the streets and chaos would erupt through the Nine Boroughs on a never-before-seen scale. However, contrary to Pott’s predictions, things would not work in the Liberationist’s favor. Due to the chaos, the government would unleash the Hatlynshire Army in its first major deployment since the War of the Coin, and due to the positions held by the former Hunters, the army took a firm stance against the Liberationists. Joseph Dart and the Hatlynshire City United Press Company would publish articles dismissing the Heavenfall Papers as baseless lies and called for the arrest of Pott and his associates, leading to Pott going into hiding. A week after they were published, the owner of the Renanberg Journal, Mr. Oswald Burh, was found dead on the street in suspected shooting. The day after that, the army would march into Hatlynshire City Hall to arrest or throw out all the Liberationists in the government, claiming that they were all members of a grand conspiracy to overthrow the current system. Leading to many Liberationists and their supporters becoming more violent towards the government, which eventually led to them forming a counter government based in the district of Austenberg, a decision that would ultimately lead to further escalation.
The monarchists would also suffer losses during this time, a small group of Liberationists would break into the estate of the Hall of St George and set fire to part of the palace, leading to the royal family to flee and take refuge in the newly constructed and unfinished Williamsburg Palace. Several prominent monarchists would be harassed and beaten in continuous incidents of mob violence. In the Outer Boroughs, industrialist factions and families, aid by their respective parties, would have conflicts with each other based on which side they supported.
The Liberationist government and its armed supporters would eventually take full control of Austenberg and its neighboring districts by driving out the Hatlynshire Army in a series of violent conflicts. They would then announce the abolition of the monarchy before creating a new elected title of ‘the Lord Mayor of Hatlynshire’ in order to act as their head, with the first mayor being none other than Urston Pott. Under Pott, the Liberatonists would form their own organized militias composed mainly of citizens and the few military personnel would defect to their side in order to defend their territory and expand their territory. The formation of two opposing governments claiming sole legitimacy would mark the first split in governance since Hatlynshire’s unification under the House of Bracksburg centuries prior. This period of civil conflict would last till the winter of the year 159 AF, and it would be known as the War of the Trinity.
Over the course of the summer and fall of the year 159 AF, dozens of small battles occurred between the soldiers serving the monarchist government, liberationist militias, the Outer Borough industrialists who supported each side. These engagements would prove far larger in scope and more violent compared to the incidents recorded during the War of the Coin and put together these conflicts would cause the deaths of thousands.
The Battle of Georenberg
Despite the monarchist government’s superior military strength, the liberationist government continued to benefit from their overwhelming public support and their use of non-confrontation tactics, which allowed them to effectively face their adversaries for many continuous months. This would eventually culminate shortly after the start of winter, during the Battle of the Georenberg, when the Liberationists, who were on the verge of a manpower and resource shortage, would gather all their remaining forces and launch a two-pronged assault on the district of Georenberg, the heartland of Great Borough and all Hatlynshire.
The monarchists would in turn mobilize their own forces and meet the liberationists on the open streets. The ensuing battle would last for nearly three days, culminating in both sides engaging each other in front of Hatlynshire City Hall. Throughout the whole battle, nearly five thousand casualties were incurred, the highest death toll in a single battle since the Last Battle of Folk and Men. One notable incident that occurred in the midst of all this was the toppling of the old statue of St George which had stood in front of the City Hall building since the death of George himself. However, despite this achievement, the Liberationists would not get to claim complete victory. For the battle would end in a draw when a group of monarchists leaders led by Olivia Sorah, Prince Wilson Montgomery (eldest son of Wyatt), Prince William II Montgomery (eldest son of William) and Princess Wilhemina Montgomery (youngest daughter of William) would arrive at the battlefield alongside a host of soldiers calling for a truce and an end to the bloodshed. And, following a day of deliberation, Pott and his fellow Liberationists would accept the truce and begin negotiating an end to the war.
The talks, which were held in Williamsburg Palace due to City Hall being severely damaged at the time, would eventually lead to the creation of the Treaty of the Trinity, a comprehensive restructuring of the entire Hatlynshire government and most impactful treaty since the Treaty of the Enterprises that ended the War of the Coin eighty years prior.
The Trinity Reforms
Under the Treaty, the monarch of Hatlynshire would retain their title but officially be designated as a figurehead, with the powers of the head of government being transferred to a brand-new elected office known as a ‘Mayor of Hatlynshire’, the only government official to be elected via an election held across all nine boroughs. The C.G.C would remain relatively intact, though it would be stripped of many of its administrative operations. Those operations would then be separated into several departments, each with rigid qualifications and sub-divisions implemented to prevent unqualified officials allied with specific groups from spreading freely across a government. These departments would then be consolidated under the Office of the State, which would remain under the control of the mayor. The Office of the State would also have jurisdiction over the Office of Internal Regulation, which itself was renamed the Office of Internal Review.
The Bureau of Taxation and Commerce, which had previously been in charge of all forms of state fiscal activity would be split into two major divisions, the Bureau of Taxation, which was put in charge of all tax related activities with policies passed by the C.G.C, and the Great Enterprises led by the Chamber of Directors. These divisions would then be placed under the oversight of the Hatlynshire Treasury, the main fiscal body of the government led by the Treasurer of Hatlynshire, a role widely regarded as the second most important riles in the government next to the mayor.
The treaty would also grant more independence to the Office of the Crown, with the Grand-Prince being given the hereditary title of Grand Overseer of the Office of the Crown. Though the office would still be funded by the treasury. Despite the reluctance of Liberationists, the royal house was allowed to keep a sizable but limited number of personal guards, although they were not allowed to exceed that limit and all casual staff hired by the office were forbidden from having a military background.
The Birth of the Order of Man
Once the Treaty of the Trinity was signed and the War of the Trinity had come to an end, the reconstruction of Hatlynshire began. The government began to arrange its first mayoral election, with both the Liberationists and the Monarchists putting forth candidates. The monarchists would rally behind Olivia Sorah, who had relinquished her position in the C.G.C and now defunct Bureau of Taxation and Commerce in exchange for being the first ever Treasurer of Hatlynshire under the new system. The Liberationists in turn would rally behind Urston Pott, who had been pardoned for his actions alongside his peers as a part of the treaty.
Both sides would fight fiercely in an election that would, for the first time, include every single land in Hatlynshire’s domain. However, in the end, the monarchists would claim victory and Olivia B. Sorah would be elected as the first ever Mayor of Hatlynshire.
(Note: Olivia’s role as the Treasurer prior to her election (a position she resigned from after her victory) would set the precedent of the Treasurer being considered the second-in-charge of the government and would establish the role’s position as the mayor’s replacement in the event of the mayor’s death or early resignation.)
Once Sorah was mayor, she and her key allies, including her alleged cousins the Brothers Montgomery, her alleged son, the prominent industrialist, Maxwell Gaft, and several other figures would lay the foundation that would lead to the uniting of the monarchist and industrialist faction, which in turn would lead to the decline and slow collapse of the Liberationists over the succeeding decades.
(Note: The years that succeeded the signing of the treaty would also see the end of the traditional disputes between the Industrialists people of the Outer Boroughs and the people of Great Borough. This would lead to a societal reunification of sorts as the two peoples would merge over time, undoing the division they had created during the Great Expansion. This in turn led to many of the Outer Borough industrialists leaving their settlements in the far reaches of the countryside and moving back to or close to Great Borough in an event known as the Great Consolidation. This would lead to the size of the City of Hatlynshire to increase until it no longer fit within the borders of Great Borough. This eventually led to the city being called the Great City of Hatlynshire.)
Her reign would also oversee the rejuvenation of the Hunters, as the royal house of Montgomery would turn to alternative forms of recruitment, such as recruiting orphans from state orphanages and training them in secret. However, despite regaining their military power, the Brothers Montgomery and their successors did not attempt to overthrow the government. Instead, with the help of Sorah and Gaft, they would create a hidden and complex network of officials that spanned throughout the government, supported by the finances of the royal family, the old nobility and the industrialist upper class, and enforced and protected by the Hunters. Via this network, which would become known as the Order of Man, the power of the government would be consolidated under the Grand Overseer, thus making the Grand-Princes of Hatlynshire the Grand Overseers of the Order of Man.
The Order of Man would operate as the uncontested political power in Hatlynshire for nearly a hundred and thirty years following the War of the Trinity. However, their status would be challenged during the Crisis of 287 AF, when the existence of the Circle, a secret society of Folk led by the Eight Great Houses and dating back to the War of the Banners, would be revealed to the Order. The two organizations would then war with each other in secret for next 350 years, with neither emerging truly victorious. And so, that is the state in which the Hatlynshire remains to this very day.
Community Tagline:@harleyacoincidence, @autism-purgatory, @rivenantiqnerd, @sm-writes-chaos, @hellothere2009, @drvonchickenstein, @pluppsauthor, @alice-exists369
God, its already been another year huh... frankly i refuse to believe it /j
fr tho, i cant BELIEVE i'm 19 now... i so ancient. My first year as an adult has been nothing but meh. i fear i shall transform into unc, haver of back pain before end of this decade.
But hey at least we made some good progress rgt? This time last year TWHUTH was at Chapter 17... now its at chapter 20 (167,000 words), continuing the honestly concerning trend of me only being able to release a handful of chapters in any give year. BUUUUT, I did also release the first two chapters of The Hunters Carrington, post my stories on Ao3 for the first time and start a cult i mean... discord server (which just passed 30 whole members btw)! So overall i'm proud of myself and i still cant believe how far we've come, so thank you all for that frfr.
On the personal side though things have been grim, the final boss of my academic career, the devil sitting on the thrown of my local education system lies mere weeks away, and frankly the stress is really starting to get to me... but worry not i shall persevere and emerge victorious and I shall be writing victorian teens with family issues in no time!
Anyways thats about it for now, i always seem to end up writing these at night so Im EXHAUSTED. I also had another somewhat big test today, which is just incredible timing on my school's part... so yeah imma head out! :D
Once again thank you all for your continued support, it means the world to me! And I can't wait to see what the coming year brings! Thanks and cheerio for now! :D
Community Tagline: @harleyacoincidence, @autism-purgatory, @rivenantiqnerd, @sm-writes-chaos, @hellothere2009, @drvonchickenstein, @pluppsauthor, @alice-exists369
Lil shitpost cause i just got back from a short trip and have nothing else to post rgt now
I know i posted this discord message earlier, but everytime i reread i just kept thinking about luin and how he'd def say something like this...so i just HAD TO draw it.
Anyways thats all for now! Thanks and cheerio! :D
(I did finish a big TWHUTH lore post i was working on so imma post that next frfr)
Community Tagline:@harleyacoincidence, @autism-purgatory, @rivenantiqnerd, @sm-writes-chaos, @hellothere2009, @drvonchickenstein, @pluppsauthor, @alice-exists369
Welp guys i did it! And lemme just say that i think this all turned out looking fricking AWESOME, it really shows how much ive improved since i made the og comic back in 2024. I did tweak the ending and the dialogue and experiment with the format a little but i think that just makes it better. But what do you guys think?
Thanks and cheerio for now! :D
The TWHUTH webseries -> Tumblr | Ao3
Sea of Starry Lights (Original)
Community Tagline: @harleyacoincidence, @autism-purgatory, @rivenantiqnerd, @sm-writes-chaos, @hellothere2009, @drvonchickenstein, @pluppsauthor, @alice-exists369
That's RIGHT! I'm bringing back by the old TWHUTH comics...well, at least i'm trying. I've decided to completely redraw the first comic, Sea of Starry Lights, cause i really wanna try out this new format, and also because i wanna see how far my art has improved since...oh god... July 2024... i feel so anciennnnnnnnnt.
Anyways, thats all for now, see you guys later, cheerio! :D
(The TWHUTH webseries -> Tumblr | Ao3)
Community Tagline: @harleyacoincidence, @autism-purgatory, @rivenantiqnerd, @sm-writes-chaos, @hellothere2009, @drvonchickenstein, @pluppsauthor, @alice-exists369
Hey! Remember this? Yea I started working on this back in like... May 2025... and after sitting on it for SO LONG i finally decided to post it! Now while my original plan was to do a full biography spanning the full 81 years of Olivia's lifetime, unfortunately i never actually made it that far.
This post is about 6,000 words long, and it encompasses Olivia's story all the way up to around 115 AF. Ngl this was prolly the most fun part to write given that its mostly personal drama, so forgive me if it seems like I overindulged myself a lil bit frfr.
I'll prolly continue this post eventually but for now this is all i got, cheerio! :D
(The TWHUTH webseries -> Tumblr | Ao3)
Victoria Montgomery, great-granddaughter of St George Montgomery, the founder of modern Hatlynshire and the first Grand Prince of the House of Montgomery. Was born in the year 47 AF. Her reign would begin in the year 67 AF, after the tragic death of her father, Claude Montgomery, by his own hand followed by the disastrous and short reign of her mother, Alissa Cristenwall, as regent on behalf of her brother. Upon her ascension to the throne, she would proceed to bring reform to the government of Great Borough, the ruling body of Hatlynshire. She would do so through actions such as changing the Chamber of the Governing Commission (C.G.C), Great Borough’s main administrative body, from a council of hereditary governors to a democratically elected council. She would also the Great Enterprises, government sponsored business ventures designed in order to limit the power of the New Industrial Movement (NIM), an organization of anti-government businessmen who were becoming the government’s greatest threat.
However, Victoria’s attempts to undermine the NIM would lead to the escalation of tensions, and after several smaller engagements, in the year 78 AF, the government and the NIM went into a full-scale conflict known as War of the Coin.
During the war, in the year 84 AF, Victoria would receive the assistance of Bernard Millfield Sorah, a banker and an elected member of the CGC from the region of Canterberg in Great Borough. Sorah himself came from a family of civil servants and bankers. While his early ancestry remains a mystery due to lack of reliable records, some records suggest that he was the son of a man named Mr. John Sorah, a banker and an associate of the NIM associated Bank of West Borough (the early name for present day Everton Borough). His mother was thought to be Lady Fran Millfield, daughter of former Lord Henrick Millfield, the last representative of Canterberg under the old hereditary CGC.
While some speculate that it was due to the influence of the House of Millfield in Canterberg, and others speculate that it was purely due to Sorah’s alleged charm and charisma, in late 83 AF Sorah would be elected to the seat of Canterberg in the Chamber of the Governing Commission. His victory would be infamous due to him defeating the candidate brought forward by Victoria herself in order to achieve the seat, the consequence of such a victory would be the initial hostility he would receive both from the Grand Princess and the other members of the CGC. However, with the War of Coin still seeing no resolution, Sorah would successfully reverse the attitudes he received by proposing his daring plan to change Hatlynshire’s currency in 86 AF. Such an endeavor, enacted late in the year 87 AF, would bring the NIM to its knees and thereby end the War of the Coin in the year 89 AF, leading to Sorah becoming both a hero and one of the most powerful individuals in Hatlynshire as well (as some allege) Grand Princess Victoria’s lover.
Victoria and Bernard
Theories of Victoria and Sorah’s relationship date back as far back as the 1st Century itself. While it has never been proven beyond a shadow of doubt that it occurred, many historians believe that it did. One of the points of argument regarding this supposed fling is the year in which it began. Some argue that it occurred after the War of the Coin, given Sorah’s new found prestige. Others however, debate this claim, deeming it as false due to the fact that the supposed result of this affair, Bernard’s daughter Olivia B. Sorah, was confirmed to have been born the year 86 AF, a mere two years after Bernard Sorah’s election to the CGC.
After the war had ended, Sorah was made the first Head Treasurer of the Bureau of Taxation and Commerce whilst still maintaining his status as the CGC representative of Canterberg. And to add to this, in the year 90 AF (when Olivia was supposedly four years old), Sorah was made Director of the Hatlynshire City Bank. This position effectively made him the head of the Great Enterprises as the H.C.B was foundation through which all the other corporations stood. Furthermore, the duo’s popularity surged in Great Borough, as, after the fall of NIM, the Great Enterprises became the largest corporations in Hatlynshire. The profit they generated increased government income fivefold. Victorian then ordered that taxes on citizens be lowered by nearly sixty percent, a move made under the advice of Sorah. This alongside his reputation led to Sorah being called ‘The Prince of Coins’, a name that confirmed his status as the most influential person in Hatlynshire outside of the House of Montgomery. However, it was this status (and his public friendship with the Grand-Princess) that would first attract attention towards his daughter .
Victoria, for her part, did not hide the fact that she favored Sorah above all her other officials. Between 90 AF until the New Century Conspiracy, she would endorse Sorah’s run for the CGC twice, causing him to be reelected both times. While some argue that this preferential treatment was evidence of a deeper relationship, others were quick to note that both Victoria and her predecessors had a history of favoritism and that her support of Sorah was due to his competency and his loyalty to the crown. Yet Sorah himself inadvertently challenged these arguments. For, despite having a daughter as early on as the year 86 AF, he was never married and no record exists as to whether he made a statement regarding his daughter during Oilvia’s childhood. This was despite him knowing about the rumors about Olivia’s true heritage.
“…There have been whispers in government halls. Some about Victoria and some about me. I do not wish to listen to them yet they fly into my ears nonetheless. They’re mostly about Oli, about her supposed illegitimacy. I can only imagine that there are many here who would be delighted to profit from my downfall, but no matter, I have had worse rumors spread about me, as you know. But perhaps Oli could spend a fortnight or two with you and father. Dare I say, you don’t see her enough…”
- A letter sent by Bernard Sorah in the autumn of 85 AF to his mother Fran Millsfied. (Recovered from the Millfield Archives acquired by the Institute of Records under the Chamber of Education in the year 370 AF)
The New Century Conspiracy
However, not long after the rumors had begun to spread, Sorah’s downfall would come. Since, in late 99 AF, Victoria’s brother Carlton Montgomery alongside his supporters, known as the Liberationists, would initiate what is now called the New Century Conspiracy and depose his sister. Yet, despite proclaiming his loyalty to the crown, Sorah would be among the first to oppose Carlton. Sorah would become the new Grand Prince’s most vocal critic and he would even be accused of aiding the organization of a counter-revolution in 100 AF. Carlton would in turn use these accusations as justification and would subsequently remove Sorah from all his positions of power. By the end of the year 100 AF, Sorah was demoted to a mere assistant secretary for the Director of the Hatlynshire City Mining Company, a position he swiftly resigned from less than a week after being assigned. Carlton would also begin a smear campaign in order to ruin the reputations and the images of Victoria and her allies, including Sorah. He would remind the public of all the destruction that had occurred during the War of the Coin, Victoria’s failure during the Years of Hunger and how Sorah’s currency shift would lead to the oppression and imprisonment of thousands in the Outer Boroughs. Among all the narratives he promoted in order to unite the public against Victoria, her alleged daughter Olivia was his most prominent target. He would accuse Victoria of fostering an illegitimate child with Sorah, claiming that she intended to place Olivia on the throne. The public, who viewed anyone who did not have the Montgomery name as unworthy of the throne, took such accusations incredibly seriously. Some historians even claim that, during this period, there were several assassination attempts on both Bernard Sorah and Olivia during the year 101 AF, which led them to go into hiding. In the summer of 102 AF, Liberationist rioters would ransack and burn down the house of John Sorah and Fran Millfield in Canterberg. A few months later, rioters would assault the ancestral home of the House of Millfield, Millfield Hall, in Canterberg, an incident that would lead to Olivia’s great grandfather, Henrick, her great- uncle, Branson and several other family members being severely beaten by the Liberationist mob. Fortunately, none would perish. However, many suspect that this incident directly led to Henrick’s death less than a month later.
Riots and violence continued as Carlton would attack any who opposed him. His supporters would call supporters of Victoria ‘Steelers’ as an insult to the Grand-Princess’s infamous surname. The Industrialists (leftover after the fall of the NIM) would side with the Liberationists during the Conspiracy with hopes that Carlton would grant them more influence; however, a minority of them would stand with the Steelers, believing that Carlton would be a worse ruler compared to his sister. During this period, the locations of Victoria and the Sorah family (between the years 102- 105 AF) were kept a secret. However, in the autumn of 105 AF, Carlton would face an internal revolt carried out by his own officials due to the incompetence and paranoid behavior he had displayed during his reign. His time on the throne would lead to anti-monarchist and anti-government tensions rising for the first time since the start the War of the Coin, and his mismanagement of the Great Enterprises had pushed the economy of Halynshire to the brink of recession. “Montgomery in blood, Cristenwall at heart” and “Prince Carlton the Bravely Incompetent” would become popular phrases used by anti-government individuals to describe Carlton’s reign after he was overthrown.
On the winter of 105 AF, the Liberationist movement collapsed and Victoria was once again put on the throne. Her second reign would then begin, once again bringing power and security back to her supporters. Bernard Sorah himself would return to the government in the spring of 106 AF, some claim that, directly after her takeover of the government, Victoria had offered Sorah all his previous positions. However, for unknown reasons, Sorah had refused. The only position he actively accepted was the Directorship of the Hatlynshire City Bank. However, the conflict between the Liberationists and the Steelers would have lasting impacts, for it had essentially divided the pro-monarchy movement, complicating what had earlier been a rather simple ideological division between the monarchists and the industrialists.
Mathew Gaft and the Days in the Outer Boroughs
The year 106 AF would also mark the start of Olivia’s significance in the history of Hatlynshire. For, about two months after Bernard Sorah was appointed Director of the HCB, Olivia (now twenty) would join the HCB as a Managerial Apprentice in Great Borough where she would serve for six months (the company standard for the time) before being appointed as the Assistant Divisional Manager of the Bernstein Borough Division of the HCB by Sorah. The reasons as to why Sorah would send Olivia to the Outer Boroughs is unknown. However, after her appointment she would travel to the Divisional Office Gardencourt, Bernstein where she would serve as ADM for more than eight years between the fall of 106 AF and the spring of 115 AF. It was during this time that historian’s believe Olivia first began to keep her own personal journals. These journals would later be recovered by historians after the acquisition of the Millfield Family Archives, with the oldest one carrying entries that dated back to the fall of 106 AF.
“…The Borough of Bernstein seems to be colder than Great Borough, even in the spring. Most likely due to it being the hilliest of all the Boroughs, but also because of the factories, or the lack of specifically. This is a land of plantations and rugged determination, which leaves little room for decent educated folk. By my own observations, work at the bank is slim. Even on so called ‘rush days’ there’s barely a few hundred patrons. Mr. Gotsburg [The Divisional Manager] tells me all the country folk don’t like the City Bank, they blame us for the losses they incurred during the old war. I had assumed opinions change over the decades but perhaps there haven’t been enough decades yet. Either way, even with our considerably low number of patrons we still outmatch whatever competition we have here. They cannot possibly hope to stand up to the might of us. Mr. Gotsburg told me that we exist on friendly terms with our competitors; he called it ‘a stable ecosystem’. I can tell what he thinks of me for he does a drunkard’s job of hiding it. However, he is old, perhaps with another few years left in him. Maybe I can work better with whoever his successor will be…”
- Olivia’s Journals, entry dated on the 331st Day of the year 106 AF.
During her tenure as the ADM of the Bernstein Branch, Olivia would allegedly come into contact with Matthew Gaft, grandson of the late Corsman Gaft and the Assistant Director of the Gaft Mining and Refineries Co. The account of their first meeting would be described in Olivia’s journals and human historians would long debate as to the extent of their relationship given the history between the Gaft Family and Victoria Montgomery, with the Gaft’s being prominent Industrialists and possible Liberationist supporters. It was clear that this was not a mere historical coincidence but in fact the start of something much deeper as Gaft would appear in a handful of journal entries, starting in the summer of 107 AF.
“…Today was very interesting, an exceedingly rare description in these parts. Gotsburg came to me with a complaint. Apparently, one of the tellers upset a client who had come looking to purchase state bonds. From what I heard afterwards, it was quite the outburst and, as per usual, Gotsburg decided to make it my problem.
I had the client summoned to my office; he immediately began complaining about the smallest things like a proper snob, commented on everything from the order of my desk to the color of the wallpaper. Truly, I have never had the displeasure of meeting such an egotist of a man. His sense of superiority was practically bleeding out of his gold-button coat. Yet he is also the first person I have seen here who is not excruciatingly boring. I inquired as to his name, and he said he was a Mr. Matthew Gaft; this was perhaps his most interesting feature. I heard his side of the story; he even had a few choice words to describe the teller boy he almost assaulted. Looking back, he sounded almost childish.
Of course, I gave him our standard assurances and apologies and that seemed to subdue his anger. He did however, have a very pensive stare. He wouldn’t take his eyes off me while I spoke, it was rather unnerving. He asked me about several other things regarding the bank, it was quite possibly the longest conversation I’ve had since coming here. But by the time he left, he seemed almost…happy, which is yet another testament to the effectiveness of Bank mandated apologies. He even asked me my name, to which I said I was Olivia Bernard. I then sent him on his merry way, ending what was perhaps the most entertaining day interaction I’ve had in this dim desk post. I currently contemplate as to whether I should mention him in the next letter I send to my father…”
- Olivia’s Journals, entry dated on the 211th Day of the year 107 AF.
Though it is not clearly stated in the journals (with some claiming it to be purposeful omission), many historians throughout the ages would conclude that Olivia had a romantic interest in Gaft. Particularly after his second appearance in Olivia’s journals, roughly a week after he was first mentioned.
“I was greeted today by a non-pleasant but not entirely unexpected surprise for today, Matthew Gaft – the snobbish complainer from last week – once again found his way to my office. Although I wasn’t exactly furious. The mundane nature of my post was borderline crushing, so his presence was a welcome change of pace. Though, strangely, he didn’t seem to be in fit of rage this time. In fact, he said he came to apologize. My shock quite unimaginable.
Apparently word of his outburst had reached the ears of his father, who (as I’ve been told) is the head of the Gaft Mining and Refineries, one of the largest mining firms in all of Bernstein Borough. It seems the family couldn’t take the shame, so his father disciplined him by having him go on an apology tour. As expected, many laughed. However, I did not quite understand why he was apologizing to me, for I was not an unfortunate recipient of his ill-thought-out rage. When I asked him this, he said he made a personal decision to see me, saying he simply wished to ‘see me again’. Which I found both odd and flattering. He didn’t stay long, he swiftly made his apology and left. I would’ve kept him longer, frankly I wanted to, however I was rather preoccupied by a report Gotsburg had me compile today, that weasel is always shoving his work onto my desk. It would’ve been nice to talk to someone who clearly doesn’t know who I am. It does get awfully lonely at times.
I have spent months in this rather tight-knit community yet am still yet to make even a single fond acquaintance. Things were always easier in Great Borough. Perhaps I’ll have the pleasure of seeing him again when he inevitably yells at another poor teller boy. An amusing prospect indeed…”
- Olivia’s Journals, entry dated on the 217th Day of the year 107 AF.
Historians debate as to whether the Olivia truly had anything other than a boredom-fueled but otherwise harmless interest in Gaft. However, it was clear that they would develop a friendship in the coming weeks as seen from Gafts next appearance, roughly three weeks after the aforementioned entry. During this time, she had received an invitation to the Gaft Family Gala.
“…I was unfortunately too exhausted to write my day entry last night but it seems that my time here is finally becoming worthwhile. For last night was the gala I was invited to earlier this week. Now, things began quite grim if I do say so myself, for unfortunately, Gotsburg had received the same invitation has me, so my assumption was that I would have to spend the night being his little wait servant. However, my expectations actually fell short of reality (for once). For when I accompanied Gotsburg to see the patriarch of the household, a Mr. Gerald Gaft, who was perhaps one of the oldest men in all Bernstein. And he just happened to be walking with his son, the mildly interesting Matthew Gaft. I was of course introduced to them both, and I was quite amused to meet the man who sent his son on an apology tour. Unfortunately, Gotsburg made the (perhaps intentional) mistake of introducing me as ‘Olivia Sorah’. I could tell immediately from Mr. Gaft’s face what he thought of me after that. He had a Liberationist’s gaze. However, Matthew didn’t seem to understand it. Strange.
Fortunately, before Mr. Gaft could utter a single word to me, Matthew requested that I accompany him. I of course swiftly excused myself from both Gotsburg and Mr. Gaft. We then proceeded to walk across the Gaft family estate. Which, I would note, was rather impressive. It was certainly better than anywhere father and I had lived in back in Great Borough. However, it did fall short of what I’ve seen from the Mongomery Estates…
…we ventured all the way to the estate garden. Looking back, I wonder whether he intentionally took a long route. For while we walked he inquired as to why I didn’t tell him my true name. I simply answered by saying I prefer my middle name. He then correctly guessed that I was in fact related to my father, although he did not assume I was my father’s daughter. I, in turn, merely stated that was a distant cousin of the great Bernard Sorah. He then proceeded to ask me what I thought about my father. Seeing as I was talking to a member of the House of Gaft I obviously was very critical of my father. This appeared to be the response he was hoping to get, for he then proceeded to call my father a loathsome wretch and ‘Montgomery rat’. I found it quite hard to listen to, although I doubt Gotsburg would approve of me talking back to a member of one of the most influential houses in Bernstein, so I pretended to listen while instead paying attention to the nice rose bushes. But aside from viciously slandering the name of my father. He seemed quite… polite, at least, very different compared to what I expected…
…finally, we seemed to reach the end of the gardens and to a pavilion where he seemed to be conducting a small, private celebration of his own amongst what I assumed were his peers (for they appeared about as old as I). I was once again quick to try to excuse myself. Frankly, I was baffled as to why I hadn’t done so earlier, or why he hadn’t simply left. Either way, it seems he wasn’t willing to entertain my desire to leave, for he insisted that I join his little company. I initially refused, for I did not like the look of his peers. However, he did win me over when he said they were indulging in wine brought directly from great Borough. And of course, I could not resist…”
- Olivia’s Journals, entry dated on the 238th Day of the year 107 AF.
It is worth noting that entries made during this time in particular are considered by many human historians to be invaluable. For they contain accounts of Oliva’s encounters with Jacob Bernstein, the former patriarch of the Bernstein Family whose signature would be one of the eight key signatures that would confirm the Great Unity Accord in 128 AF, leading to the creation of the Circle as well as his lesser known sister, Wyla. Moreover, these entries also serve as some of the only confirmed records of pre-Circulions post-War of the Coin. All these factors made this section of Olivia’s journals highly sought after among both human and Circulion scholars.
“…he introduced me to his merry band of associates. If I do recall correctly, one of them was named Frederick Darland III. I do not remember much about him, which would only indicate that he was woefully uninteresting. However, I do remember almost laughing out loud when I heard the number in his name.
But aside from him, two other people were also present at that table, and I doubt I shall ever forget them. One of them was named Jacob Bernstein (a rather creative last name). And he had come to the gala alongside his sister, Wyla, if I remember correctly. Apparently they’re both fairly large landowners, something I could see being very useful to the Gaft mining enterprise. Jacob himself was quite a strange character, mainly because he had brought a living bird to the table, a raven he called Wingston. Now, I cannot recall whether my account is truthful, for I do remember drinking quite heavily that night. Although, if my memory serves, Jacob was very close to his bird, almost to a questionable extent. I even saw him attempting to speak to it, although he seemed to have trouble talking to actual humans. His sister Wyla was no different, for she had a small dog with her, and behavior towards it was equally as strange. But from what I remember, she was a far better talker and she seemed to be quite abstinent when it came to alcohol, which I think is rather unfortunate. I recall us having a chat in the garden, away from the men. Where, in my drunken state, I offered her the services of the Hatlynshire City Bank in exchange for the Bernstein Family becoming our newest clients. However, she rejected me almost instantly, stating that both her and her brother had some ‘personal grievances’ with the state. Something I could understand. Wyla was very friendly, although our conversation never quite recovered after my pathetic attempt at a pitch…”
Olivia’s mentions of Matthew Gaft would continue all throughout her remaining journals. However, none of the entries suggests the existence of any romantic relationship between the two. An entry made during shortly after the aforementioned gala suggests that Gaft discovered Olivia’s true nature not long after the gala had concluded.
“…though today was quite uneventful for the most part in terms of my professional work, ironically, the most noteworthy thing happened directly after I stepped foot outside of the building. It was terribly windy outside to begin with yet the weather was but a minor hindrance when compared to the fact that I had the misfortune of being confronted Matthew Gaft before I had even left bank property. It appeared to me that he had been hiding out in his glided carriage for saint knows how long before finally coming out to confront me, specifically. And to add to my dismay, what he had to say was far from pleasant.
He asked many question and confessed many things. He asked me why I lied about myself during the gala, stating that his father told him about my ‘heritage’. I initially defended myself and told him that I was under no obligation to be truthful towards him with regards to my personal life. He asked me if it was because I feared him and his family, to which I refused to answer. He then confessed to me that my invitation to his family’s gala was only sent because he personally requested it. Now, that caught my curiosity, I asked him why he made such a decision. He stiffly he said he didn’t know and proceeded to call me a dishonest wench and a bastard. I called him a rotten snobbish imbecile. We both then took our swift leaves. Needless to say, we were both came out of that conversation unsatisfied…”
- Olivia’s Journals, entry dated on the 243th Day of the year 107 AF.
This event was shortly followed up by an incident, which involved the Gaft Family pulling whatever resources they had in the H.C.B and engaging in a campaign to undermine it and spoil its reputation. According to the journals, this problem would be solved when Olivia visited the Gaft Family Estate.
“It has been over a month of pain here at the Bernstein branch of the Hatlynshire City Bank. And it appears no one has felt it more than Gotsburg. Unfortunately, ever since he received word of my confrontation with Mr. Gaft a few weeks ago, he has been rather relentless in blaming all the bank’s problems on me. Today he came to me and said that we cannot go on like this forever before accusing me of underestimating the influence of the Gafts. He then pelted me with his uncreative collection of insults. ‘I should’ve never let an idiotic, worthless, two-bit bastard like yourself hold onto this esteemed post for more than a week!’ were his exact words if I remember correctly. He then ordered that I fix this debacle lest I wished to lose my position. He informed me that Gerald Gaft had tragically passed away the week prior and that Matthew would be new head of the House, hence this would be the ample time to make an apology and mend our reputation. However, I informed him that I do not apologize to petulant little children. Unfortunately, he seemed to have run out of tolerance. For he granted me early leave at that very moment and ordered that I visit the Gaft Estate. Stating that my refusal would lead to him ensuring that I never work in state banking again. ‘I do not care if the Steel Queen herself came to my office and demanded that you be reinstated, understood?’
It was under these less than enjoyable circumstances that I had to visit the Gaft Estate. No doubt, Matthew himself wasn’t very happy to see me. Frankly, I’m quite surprised that he didn’t throw me out of the property. Either way, I gave him my condolences in regards to his father’s demise, though it was clear his childish self wouldn’t except them. After some time, I managed to convince him to talk to me. We spoke for what estimate to be at least two hours; in the end, he was even generous enough to offer me some tea. Fortunately for me, Matthew just so happened to be accommodating Wyla Bernstein at around the time I arrived. Wyla was kind enough to speak in my favor, perhaps she pitied me in my time of desperation, or perhaps she pitied Matthew in his time of mourning. Either way, I knew better than to ask.
But even then, it took a fair amount of convincing for both of us to get through Gaft’s thick skull. I would go into detail, but I would rather not have such things recorded in writing. Nevertheless, I emerged triumphant. Gaft assured me that he would stop his families efforts to ruin the bank and I like to think whatever problem we had with each other was very much resolved. Of course, now I must find a way to pay Miss Bernstein some due gratitude…”
The Pultcher Case
In the year 109 AF, Karls Gotsburg would retire as the Divisional Manager and his replacement, a Mr. Horace Pultcher, a Great Borough banker, would last a little more than a year following accusations that stated that he was partaking in embezzlement and fraud in partnership with several local Bernstein banks. Olivia herself would side against Pultcher during what would become the then largest case of financial fraud in Bernstein’s post-war history.
This scandal, known as the Pultcher Case, would result in the Hatlynshire City Bank losing almost thirty five million Sorasy, an astronomical amount for the time. The public outrage would shake the delicate relationship with between the Outer Boroughs and the government, leading to a rise in dissent towards Great Borough. Justin Creed, the Viceroy of Bernstein Borough (Viceroy being a non-elected title established under a Lower Chamber of the CGC in accordance with the Treaty of the Enterprises), commented, “Money be damned, it seems as though the traitors who wish to divide us once more just had their saintly prayers answered,”
Luckily however, most of the outrage would be directed at the bank itself and the issue would eventually culminate in a large mob gathering outside the Bernstein Branch of the H.C.B, demanding to withdraw funds with threats to burn the bank down. Olivia was noted to have been among the staff who would eventually clam down the mob, with assurances that the lost money would be retrieved. Pultcher, who had fled Bernstein in order to hide in the neighboring Angelmore Borough, was arrested, tried and convicted of his crimes before being sentenced to imprisonment. Pultcher would claim that he was but a scapegoat, framed for the crimes of his former colleagues (allegedly including Olivia) who he claimed also profited from the scheme. However, records reveal that further investigation done by the Hatlynshire Government would end up finding no evidence that supported his claim. Pultcher’s life would come to an end in the fall of 111 AF when he would hang himself from the ceiling his own cell.
In the aftermath of the scandal, Olivia would be the one propose a method to recover the lost money. Her strategy involved the bank gaining loans or investment from wealthy Bernstein firms or families using special contracts allowing for various special privileges to their holders. Reportedly, the House of Gaft and their enterprises would be among some of the first to accept the H.C.Bs offer, with some even speculating that the House of Bernstein was also granted these special contracts by Olivia.
For her efforts Olivia would instated as Pultcher’s successor to the office of Divisional Manager in the summer of the year 111 AF. A roll, which she would hold onto for the remainder of her time in Bernstein Borough.
The Final Days in Bernstein Borough
Between the years of 111 AF and 115 AF, the operations of the H.C.B would be relatively stable. Despite the heavy financial burden caused by the Pultcher case and the seceding of special privileges to Bernstein elites through the special contracts, the bank continued to operate without failure. Later historians attribute this stability to the shift in domestic goodwill that occurred after the Pultcher Case, with the H.C.Bs reputation among local Bernstein residents increasing due Olivia’s efforts while, at the same time, the local banks who were discovered to have aided Pultcher in his scheme would end up losing both reputation and customers.
Throughout these times, the HCB would engage in various business dealings with Gaft Mining and Refineries Co. as well other large Bernstein firms. Many would accuse Olivia of engaging in bribery and corruption during this period, accusing her of gathering a vast personal fortune by stealing from the local masses with the aid of the local elites. These claims are thought to date as far back as Olivia’s own lifetime, with the likely originator being Matthew Gaft, who would continue to appear semi-frequently in Olivia’s journals. However, the contents surrounding these appearances would rarely be anything other than a professional matter. Proponents of the theory that Olivia and Gaft had romantic interests in each have long argued that Olivia purposefully omitted such affairs from her journals, often citing how she would often be vague when recording her encounters with Gaft. Other theorists claim Pultcher’s accusations about Olivia were true, and that she was the true mastermind behind the Pultcher Case. Yet even to this day, there exists no outside evidence aside from the journals that could validate these theories. Historians claim that the evidence required to understanding Olivia’s relationship with Gaft and her dealings with the rest of Bernstein populace lie within Gaft Family Records. But at present, the exact location of the records are not known, with many assuming that they have either been destroyed or distributed among the Gaft Family’s branches following the end of the main line.
Additionally, due to the lack of outside records of Olivia’s life, the exact reason of her departure from Bernstein in 115 AF is not known. Many suspect it was due to Victoria, who, fearing the growth and spreading of Liberationist and Industrialist power in the Outer Boroughs, began to impose stricter laws alongside implementing economically suppressive actions such as increasing taxes and trade restrictions mere months prior to Olivia’s departure. Some suspect that Olivia had done something to turn her Bernstein allies against her, thus prompting her to leave. Other theories include one, which states that she was forced to leave due to her father, Bernard, falling ill in the summer of 114 AF, which led to his subsequent retirement during the winter of that same year. Oilvia herself would record her departure from Bernstein Borough in her journals as follows:
“…though my departure from Bernstein was a quite unexpected, strangely, I have yet to feel any great sense of sadness over it. Perhaps it is because, for the longest time now, I’ve been longing to see Great Borough again. It has been more than four years since I last saw father, and even longer since, I’ve seen everyone else. Father’s last letter informed me that he was feeling quite sick, and the local newspaper have been screaming about his retirement for days. I find such timing oddly convenient.
I found myself strolling through the halls of the Bank today; despite all the trouble I had to endure here I found it rather fun to reminisce about the happier times. However, sadly, not a lot of patrons came in today. I take it as a sign that the winds here have shifted. Although, I do hope I will get the chance to visit some choice associates before I leave. I’ve learned that Bernstein folk do not take kindly to a quiet exit…”
- Olivia’s Journals, entry dated on the 53rd Day of the year 115 AF.
It was thought that Olivia had visited the estates of several of her close acquaintances on her last day in Bernstein Borough. She was confirmed to have visited the Gaft Estate, where Matthew Gaft had gifted her a portrait of himself. The evidence for this gift was found within Olivia’s Will, where it listed a painting of Matthew Gaft among Olivia’s possessions. The Will also instructed that the portrait be handed over to Maxwell O. Gaft, Matthew’s son, upon her death. It was due to this wish that the location of the portrait now unknown. Yet, it remains as another point of debate among historians, for many hypothesize that this portrait was merely one out of a set of two, with the other painting being one of Olivia that was kept in Gaft’s possession.
Community Tagline: @harleyacoincidence, @autism-purgatory, @rivenantiqnerd, @sm-writes-chaos, @hellothere2009, @drvonchickenstein, @pluppsauthor, @alice-exists369
