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Cetatsenia-Demoness Meeting
Topic Started: Nov 18 2013, 07:41 PM (8,253 Views)
Cetatsenia
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If one was to take a place from the nation of Demoness to Cetatsenia, one would most likely see the dichotomy that the nation was rather known for. In the southern parts of the nation one would notice the highlands, heavily forested and almost untouched by man aside from the winding roads and the occasional town. But further north, the terrain would give away to the lowlands of the Centric Basin. This land was flat, and lacked the expansive forests, though there were smaller isolated forests. But the main difference one would notice would be the level of development, it was dominated by a large amount of farmland as the lowland soil was incredibly fertile, but there was also the occasional city, bustling with people.

Albraustana-zid was one such city, and it was the primate city of Cetatsenia, the richest and most populous and most important of them all. It was built along both sides of the great Albastru River that ran through much of Cetatsenia, though most of it was on the southern bank of the river. This was because of the simple fact that Albraustana-zid had begun life as three separate forts and settlements built along the river. Albrau and Stana had been built on the Southern bank, and over time had grown together until they were finally united into Albraustana. And while Zid would eventually become part of the greater whole, for a long time it was simply considered a city separated from the capital only by the river.

Since it had grown organically over the numerous years, and had once been three separate cities, the streets and roads had a habit of being winding and could be complicated to navigate for those unfamiliar with them who had no map. Though the roads had over time been widened and revamped in order to accommodate cars, and the newest sections of the city on the outskirts actually had a gridded street plan. As it was the middle of the day, the streets were currently filled with cars and buses, and the sidewalks filled with pedestrians, while the newest addition to the city's transportation network, the subway system, ran below the streets.

While there was a number of attractions in the city, such as the museums and baths, one of the most prominent is the Palatul Regal, the Royal Palace. The site of the original settlement of Albrau and lying atop a hill, it has been torn down or otherwise destroyed and then subsequently rebuilt several times throughout history. The most recent being the ascension of Ioan I to the throne of Cetatsenia, though it has been renovated and updated since then.

The Palace itself is surrounded by a wall that rings the entirety of the hill, with only a single gate leading up to it. The wall is patrolled by a special corps of Cetatsenian soldiers, easily identified by their bright blue ceremonial uniforms and ornate, pointed helmets. After that, a road lead up to the palace proper, an expansive building with a stone exterior that shared more in common with a medieval castle than what one thinks of when they hear the word 'palace'. It was home to a fair number of servants, as well as the guardsmen, and a small number of government officials. Most of those lived out in the city, and worked in their own buildings. It was absolutely huge, and in front of it was an expansive pool of water. Overall, it was an impressive sight that could be seen from a good portion of the city.

At the moment, however, Voivode Gavril IV Suveraneshti was not at his home in the palace. Rather he was at the airport, which had been cleared of any citizens besides him, the guards arrayed with him, and those who worked there; all flights to this airport had either been delayed or rerouted to other nearby airports. Today was an important day, as this was the decided upon day of Jia Li's visit to Cetatsenia. As two nations whose relationship could be accurately described as "mutually neutral", this was a rather important meeting, and Gavril did not want to mess anything up. So he stood alongside his older sister Andreea, the Steward of Cetatsenia, in the airport, ready to head out onto the tarmac to greet the Empress as soon as her plane set down.
Edited by Cetatsenia, Apr 22 2014, 09:58 PM.
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Cetatsenia
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"Oh," Gavrila said, obviously disappointed by the fact that there wasn't really anyone buried there. But she quickly bounced back from that and was smiling once more. "But zat still sounds like a great place to see," she said with a grin.

"Gavrila," Andreea sighed, "I do not zink zey want you poking around down zere."

"Oh, please," Gavrila rolled her eyes, "It is not like I would go zat far. I just want to see it."
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Demoness
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Jia Li hesitated. She had only been down there as long as required and had been forbidden from exploring since she was a child. A few of the priests and guards knew more about the tunnels, but few had gone far. The Plateau, in ancient history, had once contained a jade mine as well, but it had been closed down among concerns that further hollowing out the geologic structure would cause it to collapse and the entrance had been sealed off. However, it was rumored that the mines somehow also connected to the Catacombs, though she didn't know of anyone who had proven it true.

"Actually, Ariana might know enough to give us a tour," she suggested, "but we really wouldn't be able to go far. The tunnels quickly branch off and it's easy to get lost."
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Cetatsenia
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Gavril shrugged, "Hey, zat is fine. I just want to see it; it is not like I am overjoyed at ze zought of getting lost."

"Earlier you mentioned an Oracle," Andreea said, "What exactly is zat?"

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Demoness
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Jia Li paused. "I think that is the equivalent term we found in English," she explained. "The Oracle is a way to connect to the Goddesses and hear their voices. It's a pit in the basement of the cathedral where the Vessel sits. The fumes allow xem to enter a state of ecstasy and tell the future. Our first prophet, Ruarc, could do so without the Oracle, but everyone since him has had to sit with the Oracle. Sometimes, the Vessel is able to tell an individual's fortune, but it is quite difficult to decipher and while it's an honored position, it is quite deleterious to one's health." The current Vessel was in her late twenties, but she looked at least a decade older and now became disoriented when she was outside the Oracle, much like a recovering drug addict.
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Cetatsenia
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Andreea and Gavril both nodded their heads. "I see," Andreea said, trying to be tactful, "Zat is interesting." Cetatsens as a whole tended not to believe in things such as visions of the future, there were some odd individuals who did but the vast majority of Cetatsenia didn't.

Gavrila, on the other hand, was not so tactful. "Are you sure zey are not just getting high?" she said, with one eyebrow cocked.
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Demoness
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Jia Li frowned. "Do you not have prophecies in your religion?" she asked directly.
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Cetatsenia
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Gavrila just shook her head in response and shrugged, "Nope."

"Zings such as zat are generally not believed in by most Cetatsens," Gavril explained.
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Demoness
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"I see," Jia Li responded. "Well, I've only seen the Oracle a handful of times in my life and only a handful of prophecies are produced." She did look slightly offended; regardless of the side effects, being appointed the Vessel was a sacred duty.
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Cetatsenia
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Andreea could see that Jia Li was a bit offended and shot her cousin a glaring look. Gavrila just looked back at her, "What? I was just asking a question."

"You could have worded it more politely," Andreea responded, "You do not need to be blunt and rude about everyzing."
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Demoness
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"It's alright," Jia Li said, and she would probably get over it during the course of the conversation; now, however, it was a sore spot. Xel wasn't particularly offended either, as the same thoughts had often occurred to him as well; Lyna Miyamoto, as sweet as she was, could not speak an unslurred sentence for the life of her during a meeting, if she was able to speak at all. She walked around as if she were constantly drunk, but he had also seen the influence of the Oracle worsen her condition. Ten years ago when he had taken up the mantle of High Priest, she had been able to converse normally after a few hours free of the fumes and she required only a little assistance getting around. Even then, however, she had looked old and he had seen her as a fresh-faced teenager when she was first appointed.
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