#da.intro

Roman loved the military. He enlisted as soon as he was of age and fought in many battles and skirmishes - including some on Oscana and Ryhule’s border. 

Being a good soldier doesn’t always mean being well-liked, though. Roman’s temper and battle lust turned off a lot of people - including his superiors in the military - and because of that, he wasn’t promoted very often and didn’t climb very high through the ranks.

Though he resented the way the officers viewed him, Roman preferred fighting to giving orders and being bogged down with administrative tasks, so he sucked it up and continued to do what he loved.

Unfortunately, he was injured in battle a few months ago. The injury was entirely his own fault and shouldn’t have happened. His officer sent him to the capitol to be examined by the top notch physicians there. They told him that he would likely never be battle ready again and refused to clear him for duty.

Although he’s grateful (not that he shows it) to have a job, he isn’t particularly pleased with guarding the crown prince. He likes the other man just fine, but Roman doesn’t see the task as exciting enough. What threats are really going to present themselves in Oscana’s court? Other than princesses with fickle hearts? 

He’s open about his disdain for Oscana.

Actually, he’s pretty open about most of his opinions. He isn’t one to bite his tongue, and that gets him into a lot of trouble, especially since he’s quick to anger. 

When he loves, he loves deeply, but it’s very difficult for him to get to that point. He’s got a hard shell that isn’t easy to break, and he’s usually preoccupied with wanting to get back onto the battlefield. 

He fights as hard as he loves.He argues the most passionately with the people he cares about the most.

He has a fast temper and isn’t afraid to act on it. He also thinks pretty highly of his soldier skills, despite the reservations his superiors had about him.

He’s seen a lot of loss. Although he does love war and fighting, he isn’t immune to the pain of watching others die in battle.

In his opinion, the alliance negotiations are just for show. He doesn’t think that peace will ever be reached. He isn’t afraid to share that opinion. 

TW: implied prostitution

+ Nissa was orphaned young, has no memories of her parents left, and very little awareness of exactly who she’d been before a travelling band of performers and artists took her in. She pulled her weight with her voice--sweet, innocent little songbird made a decent revenue in the towns and cities they haunted. 

+ At nineteen she had her introduction to court life through sheer chance. A girl in the Oscanan palace had caught her eye, so naturally she’d decided it was in her best interests to woo her. Cut to them being caught in the act by the girl’s fiance, met by an insurmountable rage from the young lordling that could’ve ended much worse had Madam Macre not stepped in. A handful of gold and some carefully chosen words. 

+ Nissa was saved from the punishment and inducted herself into Macre’s service out of admiration for the woman. Madam Macre’s position as a stewardess was a starting point for learning the ins and outs of the people around her. Nissa formed a bond with the woman that lasted past her time working under her. Even once she’d moved on and carved a spot as a successful courtesan, she continued to visit her for all manner of fickle reasons. Rather than admit to her attachment, Nissa claims its simply because she still feels indebted to her. 

+ She found she quite enjoyed life in the court. Learned quickly to use her looks and subtle actions to make her life easier, how to become a favourite to the right people and earn coin and gifts to see her status elevated. 

+ At 22 she was approached with the proposal to be a spy in Ryhule, took the job more for the chance to act than for the money. Nissa was sick of sitting back and hearing of the adventures of others without having the chance for her own. Whether it was bravery or stupidity that she disregarded the whispered tales of the things which happened to spies when caught is still up for debate. 

trust,,,,, he is not a smooth guy

he cares a lot about his people and his country and he doesn’t want his reign to be marked with the same old gripes and complaints as his parents’ and their parents’ and so on, with this cold war and all. he wants to be a Better King for ryhule, so he’s here to forge alliances and connections, as many as he can get

he doesn’t know if that’s really possible with oscana but he’s here to try

grew up a little sheltered but yearning for adventure, so he takes any chances he can to go riding or exploring or honing his swordplay craft

growing up, he often convinced his parents to allow him to travel around the kingdom, on as many political missions as he could garner, just so he could learn to climb the eastern mountains or ride a boat down the river or brush against the desert winds to the south. in his heart, he’s an explorer. the first thing he did when he arrived in oscana was go visit the seaside

he’s assertive, he’s a doer, he doesn’t like being put somewhere and told to sit still, he can’t even sleep without rolling around a lot (catch him waking up most mornings by rolling right off the bed)

he hides a lot of his emotions behind a mask of duty and responsibility, which he takes seriously, but his feelings run very deep and very strong-- he just doesn’t like to express them out loud

he’s been in love once before and it did not go well, he’s not excited about the idea of marriage

but he is loyal to a fault; to his friends, to his soldiers, to his people, and to his family, even if his parents are really pushing him to win the heart of the crown princess of oscana and convince her to marry him

what to know about rik!

by far the least suited to his station. he has trouble sitting still and paying attention and doing his actual duties, and leaves all the boring stuff to his siblings.

impulsive, abrasive, short-tempered

is honestly confused as to why he’s even in oscana… he’s pretty sure he’s only going to make the conflict worse.

hard to get him to take anything seriously

soft spot for animals (avid hawker, horse rider, & dog trainer)

would die for his siblings, especially maria, who always paid attention to him even though he was the insignificant baby of the family

only person he opens up to is his secret lover (wc!!)

maybe one of his sister’s ladies, one of his family’s guards, a pirate, a prostitute… anything that would look very bad for a prince. he would literally betray anyone and everyone for this person.

Princess Rosamund Vidar has lived a charmed life since birth.  Raised in a castle, surrounded by an entire staff of people who must do as she says, her early life was every little girl’s dream.  Of course, while she continued to view her life through rose-tinted glasses, she could not miss the way everyone around her kept secrets and manipulations hidden behind tight smiles and faux courtesy.  Oscana’s reputation for morality, as it turned out, extended only so far as appearances, so Rosamund learned to value appearance above all else.

As the youngest of all of her sisters, she was always able to get away with just a little bit more than anyone else.  With a giggle or a sweet smile, everyone believed she was nothing but a sweet, innocent little princess.  Besides that, she had her parents behind her to make any of her mistakes go away when she could not -- or would not -- fix them herself.  Why, then, should she have to grow up?

Rosamund does not have a mean bone in her body, but she is so spoiled, so shallow, so careless, that she can be somewhat meaner than she intends at times.  She likes things to go her way, and she does not understand why anyone should refuse her.

Her chances of ever becoming queen were slim, but frankly, she did not mind.  The crown came with much more responsibility than she had any interest in taking.  As far as she was concerned, it was much more fun just to be a princess.  One day, of course, she would have to grow up enough to become wife to some other country’s royalty, but as long as no one was asking that of her now, it did not really matter what would come later.

Despite her unwillingness to mature, Rosamund did indeed grow up, and there were many around her who noticed when she did -- and she noticed them noticing too.  The innocent little princess gradually became a bold young woman, and she was not even sixteen when she began her first flirtation with a nobleman’s son almost three years her senior.  She thought she was in love, but of course, it did not last long.  Her parents caught them sneaking around the castle and put a stop to it.  She must have restraint, they said.  Remember your reputation.

The next time, she was much more discreet, but alas, he was not so -- she was one of several girls he was pursuing.  That time, Rosamund ended it.  Over the years, there have been quite a few of these relationships, boys and girls, but it always ends the same.  Everyone wants something, and Rosamund is happy to have her own fun while they’re at it, but she is always more disappointed in the end than she is willing to admit.

The one exception to this occurred a little over a year ago.  A kitchen girl Rosamund’s age caught her eye, and their affair, while brief, was different.  She did not expect love from her affairs anymore -- only a fun rapport in their flirting, and a good snog -- but with this girl, she thought she might be able to fall in love with her.  Real love.  Storybook love.  But alas, Rosamund might never take the throne, but she was still a princess, and a kitchen wench was much too far below her.  The girl was sent away, and Rosamund has not seen or heard anything of her since.

(TW: DEATH) After her parents’ accident, Rosamund was devastated.  She refused to leave her room for a week.  By the time two weeks had passed, though, she was more or less back to her usual self.  She had much too much to offer the world to let herself wilt like this, she decided.  She knows that there are some who believe she exaggerated her grief for attention, especially considering how quickly she bounced back to normal, but the truth is that she simply did not know how to handle it, and still does not.  Indulging it did not work, so instead, she will simply do what she does best: have her fun, and push away everything that is too difficult.

Wanted Connections:

Flings:  Former or current.  There have been quite a few of these over the years.  Perhaps they genuinely liked her, or perhaps they were only interested in her status.  Either way, it was probably not very serious, or very long.  They would not have slept together, but they would have spent a fair amount of time sneaking around the castle, flirting and otherwise having some fun.

Friends:  Rosamund is rather self-centered, but she likes to have fun, and besides, more friends means more attention.  She does care about the people she considers friends, though.

Annoyances:  Let’s face it, Rosamund can be kind of annoying.  There are definitely some people who do not care for her dramatics, her self-centeredness, and her inability to take most things seriously.

Parental Figure:  Someone who looks out for her.  Rosamund may not accept it, but she does need someone to take care of her like a parent would, especially right now, as she is a bit more fragile than usual.

Hello hi hey!! It’s ya girl, Kayla!! And now I shall introduce you to my fave boy!! Pls hit me up if you’d like to plot with him ♡

Basics ☆

He was born and raised in a commoner village in Capital City. His father was a shipwright and his mother was a seamstress. He had very humble upbringings but that did not mean he didn’t have a thirst for adventure and riches. He loved the sea but he loved it in a different way than his father; he wanted to explore it and experience the crash of waves for himself. Of course, that wasn’t what his parents had planned for him. They expected Westley to continue living the way they were; surviving but not thriving. He didn’t want that. So, at the young age of fifteen, he left. To this day, he has not spoken to his parents. He doesn’t even know if they’re still around, honestly. Though, he does miss them deeply.

Wes had no destination but he is a rather ambitious man and his perseverance always pushes through. He had a stroke of luck after a week of sleeping outside of taverns when a grand pirate ship came to port. He knew this was his chance to live the life he dreamed of. So, he snuck onto the pirate ship without a second thought.

When he was found on board of The Marauder, he thought he would be hanging from the gallows for sure. However, that wasn’t the case. The old captain was much less cruel than the tales that were told on land. At least to his own crew they were. From that day on, he began his life as a pirate.

He became the captain of the vessel only five years later, when he was twenty years old. He did this by staging the natural death of the former captain, using a highly potent poison he had come across during their voyages.

Westley visits Oscana court very often; something the former captain rarely ever did. He doesn’t want to be seen as a lowly criminal so, he shares the wealth he comes by when pillaging enemy kingdom’s ships. He especially loves parties and banquets for the free food, alcohol, and of course, the noblewomen.

Speaking of, noblewomen can’t seem to get enough of him. Which he doesn’t mind one bit. While their husbands are busy tending to the royals, he tends to their wives. He doesn’t seem to take much shame in it, but he makes sure to be as discreet as possible. If he does get caught, he could usually just go on a six-month long voyage until things blow over.

He comes from humble upbringings but he has grown into a man of pride and cockiness. He flaunts his riches and has absolutely no shame in it at all.

He has actually had his heart broken by a noblewoman. Which is why he tends to be more promiscuous these days. Westley met her on one of his visits to the castle. He was prepared to leave the life at sea for her. That is, until he found her tangled in the sheets with a royal guard.

He is quite skilled in combat and can wield a sword effortlessly. His body count is much too high for him to ever remember but he usually feels no remorse. In his head, they would have done the same exact thing to him for the treasure.

Although he is usually surrounded by others, Westley feels desperately lonely at times. Like there’s a void in his chest that no amount of gold could ever fill. He obviously keeps this to himself.

Wanted Connections ☆

Flings/FWB’s: Give this dude all the girls to hook up with. He frequents Oscana court between voyages so I’d love for him to have a lady or two to entertain him while he’s around. He has a very fleeting personality and that could be the perfect recipe for so much A N G S T.

Crew Mates: I would love to see some of his crew from The Marauder here! They’re pretty close knit and probably get drunk on rum together all the time.

Ex-Lover: If any of the noblewomen here want to be the girl that broke his heart a few years ago, I WOULD LOVE THAT. I NEED ANGST AND MAYBE MUTUAL PINING?? She can be younger or older, I really don’t mind!

Hey everyone! Kayla here, and I’m so excited for you all to meet my fave girl!! These are just some basics for plotting purposes and I will have a fully fleshed out bio page up for her soon! Hit me up for any and all plots ♡

Basics ♡

Aurora, or just Rora for short, is the first daughter of the Baron and Baroness of the Swamplands in Oscana. Although Barony is a lower rank of nobility, that did not mean much to the Windsor family; Oscana was a prosperous land that thrived and her hefty dowry proved just that.

She grew up studying diplomacy, etiquette, history, Latin, embroidery, dance and music. She excelled at every single subject and Rora was sure this was a huge factor of Queen Deidre picking her to be a Lady-In-Waiting for Princess Sylvia.

Rora loves the outdoors and will find any excuse to be out in the sunlight. Growing up in the Swamplands, she always admired the hunters who traversed the area and this caused her to grow interested in archery. She had a true affinity for the craft and considered it her favorite hobby. She has been told her skill amounts to that of the royal guard. Some of her other hobbies include horseback riding, painting and the piano.

She is a very headstrong young woman. She often struggles with biting her tongue and could come off a little rude at times. However, she thinks she is honestly just speaking her mind. This has gotten her into a few confrontations within castle walls with different noblemen and women but it has never been anything too severe.

She is naturally curious, opinionated, confident, charismatic and incredibly empathetic to those deserving of it.

However, she can also be very cunning and ruthless if she, her family, or Sylvia is wronged in any way. There is nearly no line she won’t cross to get what she wants done. And she is a very firm believer of “if you want something done right, do it yourself”.

Aurora is fiercely loyal to the monarch of Oscana and dreams of holding a spot on Princess Sylvia’s privy council once she is the Queen. She believes she would make an excellent addition. Especially since she has already been by her side since they were little girls. She began working as one of Sylvia’s ladies when she was about ten years old and has been living at court since. She often visits the Swamplands; usually to obtain fresh silk for her lavish dresses.

Aurora favors the treaty. The Windsor family always has, in fact. Peace is something they believe will benefit their nation and make Oscana even more prosperous than it already is. However, her loyalty lies with her country and her future queen.

When Rora was about fifteen years old, she fell madly in love with a man who was of much lower station than she. Already being the daughter of Barony, she knew that if she did marry, it would be in her family’s best interest to wed someone of higher nobility. This did not stop the teenage girl, though, and the affair continued for the better part of a year.

It only ended when Aurora became pregnant. Everyone knew the monarchy kept scandals well underwrapped and this time was no exception. Being a favorite of Queen Deidre, all the Windsor family had to do was contribute a hefty donation to the Faith and the crown took care of keeping shame off the family name.

For nine months, she was hidden away in the Swamplands under the cover of her traveling to another kingdom to learn of their culture. When she gave birth, her child was taken in the cover of night to Ryhule to be left at the steps of a nunnery. This was not the original plan laid out by the Queen of Oscana and the Windsor family bribed the servants to keep quiet about it, going with the tale that the child passed during birth. 

The original plan was to pass the baby off as the child of a high-ranking noble couple, though young Aurora just couldn’t bear having her own flesh so close by without being able to know them as her own.

Wanted Connections ♡

First Love: He was of lower station than Aurora. They had quite a whirlwind romance; sneaking around castle corridors, stealing lustful glances at one another during dinner banquets, etc.. He could have been a kitchen boy, a commoner she met while outside of castle walls, or even a privateer who had prolonged business at court. He does not know about her pregnancy or their child.

Friends: She has been living at court for many years so I imagine she’s befriended quite a few people there. Other Ladies-In-Waiting, noblemen, and noblewomen would be great.

Flings: While she is not consistently looking for people to hook up with, I can’t say that it hasn’t happened before. She has most definitely hooked up with some noblemen or their sons. She is also secretly attracted to women and I would not oppose to her having a lady she’s crushing on/experimenting with.

Family: Her parents are Barony and I would looooove to see them around! She also has an older brother who is the the heir to the Baron of the Swamplands title. I figured she is quite close to her family and confides in them greatly.

things to know about xenia!

this little lady is the secret daughter of emmett greenwood, earl of the north. she doesn’t know either, it’s okay to be surprised ;)

she was raised near the kingdoms’ border so she’s experienced her fair share of upheaval and strife. it’s given her a real soft spot for those less fortunate than her.

the only true loss she’s ever known is when her grandfather (and sole father figure) died when she was 12. but he never really liked her anyway.

most of her friends growing up were lower class village kids. xenia never really noticed until the kingdoms’ conflict started leeching into her hometown and she was boarded up into safety in the family home while all her friends had to continue their daily lives as if it was safe.

that was about a year ago. very recently she’s come to court with her mother, who told her it was no longer safe to live at home period.

it bugged her, therefore, that her grandmother didn’t come with them, but xenia knows better than to ask her mother too many questions.

they have a good relationship and xenia wants to see the best in her, but she also recently discovered a sketchy letter regarding her mother and emmett greenwood....

i like to imagine her mother is likely not deserving of all the benefit of the doubt xenia gives her.

then again, xenia gives that to everyone whether they want it or not. too kind for her own good.

excited to be at court bc she’s always wanted to see more of the world than her own little village, but it is also going to be a huge culture shock.