An Intermezzo in G

[Alunya]

An Intermezzo in G
A Planning Thread

This thread is for the planning of a role play involving His Majesty, King Tozian Aurelius Schlekenbakker-Gothe of the Kingdom of Plembobria and Her Highness, Principessa Magdalena Isabella Giulietta Amadea Teodora of the House of Olivotto, the Kingdom of Alunya.

By telegram it has been agreed that the Principessa will be applying to study at the Alsobrook Conservatory of Performing Arts, where she seeks to attain a Masters degree in Music Performance (Pianoforte). The Alsobrook Conservatory is located in the capitol city of Rethel, Kingdom of Plembobria.

As both of the principal characters are single, and of similar age, the agreed (and hoped for) ultimate aim is towards a Royal Wedding between the House of Schlekenbakker-Gothe and the House of Olivotto.

Our initial start shall be with the establishment of embassies, the Principessa's application for a student (and/or diplomatic) visa, and her application to graduate studies at the Alsobrook Conservatory.

I hope to encourage others to participate. Certainly there will be concerts, plays, operas, balls, and gallery exhibits to attend. Many other performing arts students are from countries other than the Kingdom of Plembobria and the Kingdom of Alunya. If you have an interest in participating, please indicate so somewhere in this thread.

Keep in mind that posts here in the planning area may be works in progress, so don't assume that what you see here will be in the actual role-play. This is where we try out ideas and make suggestions before going over to the role-play thread. We maight also be trying out some things in BBCode to see how it might look -- the material may or may not be used.

Above all, have fun!

>^,,^<
Alunya

P.S. Plembobria, the correct date of Principessa Magdalena's birthday is 22 August 1992 instead of 1993.

 

[plembobria]

I intended to have the embassy in Ronnrone established before the story begins. However, the staff would have just moved in. All the chaos should make for a relatively funny scene.

 

[Alunya]

I agree -- that would be funny! I'm going to submit embassy applications tomorrow in the Embassy section (we can always link to those in the Intermezzo thread for backstory purposes). We're not starting this immediately, as some of that preliminary stuff has to be done first (like the university transcripts and application materials). Patience is a virtue!

I think I'll also have the Principessa apply for a diplomatic visa at the same time. Her military service comes into play if she doesn't continue her education, and she will be a recently commissioned first lieutenant (Marines? Navy? Army? Air Force? I haven't decided yet. I could see her progeny being taunted with, "Yeah?!! Well, your mother wears combat boots!") She would be an assistant military attache. Of course, her service would be deferred if accepted into the Alsobrook Conservatory, and waived outright if she marries into a foreign royal house.

Let me mull over how to fill out the embassy application!

>^,,^<
[me]

 

[plembobria]

We're not starting this immediately, as some of that preliminary stuff has to be done first (like the university transcripts and application materials). Patience is a virtue!

Of course, this shouldn't start until at least after z-day.

 

[Fenichi]

I'd definitely be interested in this. It seems pretty cool.

 

[Alunya]

I agree -- after Z-Day. No earlier than Monday, November 3rd. And let's take our time -- this isn't some Las Vegas affair, after all, with Elvis as Minister in a drive-thru chapel. I can see it actually going on for months before any invites get sent out.

King Tozian will have plenty of opportunities to meet Principessa Magdalena. I'm for nixing this happening at her audition(s) for admission to the Alsobrook Conservatory. (May we agree to use italics for that prestigious institution when normal text is used, and normal text when italics are used?) Her admissions will be tough enough without the added presence of the King. I'm for having His Royal Majesty submit the request however; if I may play the role of the President of the Alsobrook Conservatory, I have a very clever anecdote to tell His Royal Majesty as to why his request is being refused. (And it'll set the tone for the Alsobrook Conservatory as well.)

Spoiler: The backstory, some of it previously mentioned in telegrams

The Alsobrook Conservatory for Performing Arts is located in Rethel, the [nation=noflag+short]Kingdom of Plembobria[/nation]. It is an accredited private institution of higher learning, offering post-graduate, doctoral, masters and baccalaureate degrees in performing arts (performance and education). The institution's strengths lie in the following disciplines: Theater (Performance), Theater (Production), Opera (Performance), Opera (Composition), Music (Performance), Music (Vocal Performance), Dance (Performance), Dance (Education), Ballet (Performance) and Ballet (Production).

Principessa Magdalena Olivotto shall be graduating on Saturday, October 25th with her baccalaureate in Music from the University of Santa Catalina in Santa Catalina, [nation=noflag+short]Alunya[/nation]. She wishes to pursue a master's degree in musical performance, specializing in the piano which she has practiced for most of her life. The twenty-two year old princess is not in the direct line of succession and is thus free to study abroad if she so chooses. The Alsobrook Conservatory is, of course, extremely competitive, yet far superior to less specialized institutions such as the University of Halbonia. The Alsobrook has the additional attraction of being located in the heart of Plembobria which provides ready access to the Kingdom's cultural attractions.

From a role-play point of view, the existence of a small, close-knit specialized campus permits [me] the freedom of describing things there without too much god-modding as long as the descriptions stay within the campus. url=http://www.nationstates.net/nation=kingdom_of_plembobria]Plembobria[/url] shall have the rest of Rethel to describe and operate within, and everyone should take their dancing cues from url=http://www.nationstates.net/nation=kingdom_of_plembobria]Plembobria[/url] in regards to everything off the campus. In general, [me] shall have the job of describing the campus so one should follow [me]'s lead when on campus.

There will be a need for instructors, students, friends and acquaintances, musicians, dancers and actors in the general vicinity of the campus. Some may be accomplished professionals; others may be out on the street with a guitar, a harmonica and a pet monkey begging for coins. Consider it the arts and entertainment district of url=http://www.nationstates.net/nation=kingdom_of_plembobria]Plembobria[/url], with all the vividness that one can muster, and have some fun with it.

The Alsobrook Conservatory is the more serious side of things, of course. This really isn't the place for royalty, and the Principessa shall have to be an exceptional student and performer to even be considered. Others at the Alsobrook are not likely to be of noble blood but may be better actors, dancers, singers and musicians -- just keep that in mind.

The Principessa will be making friends with her fellow students, of course, and that can be role-played as well. It could turn out at some point that King Tozian and the Principessa, if they become an item, might travel with her new friends to one of their houses in a foreign land, with all that entails. One could imagine some very flustered (common folk) parents, wondering what to serve a reigning monarch and his girlfriend when their (straight? gay? bisexual?) actor son brings them along home on Spring Break. These are just suggestions, and we encourage you to come up with other novel ideas and characters as well.

All subplots are very much open ended and subject only to a modicum of plausibility.

As to the district in Rethel where the Alsobrook Conservatory is located, I'm thinking of creating a large square. The grid pattern will be used for streets to make the labeling of streets easier. We'll offset true north in a compass graphic.

What is needed in the arts and entertainment district, Plembobria, is the names of the two east-west principal streets, the two north-south principal streets, and the name of the square itself.

Additionally, I have a rough idea of the principal buildings on the square, of which there are eight:

• <Unknown Name> (The Museum of Fine Arts)
• <Unknown Name> (The Museum of Contemporary and Modern Art)
• <Unknown Name> (The Museum of History)
• <Unknown Name> (The State Circus)
• <Unknown Name> (The Royal Opera House)
• <Unknown Name> (The National Philharmonic Symphony Hall)
• <Unknown Name> (The Royal Ballet)
• <Unknown Name> (The National Theatre)

Plembobria, if you can come up with names of those, it would be useful. As examples, there is The Bolshoi, the Guggenheim and The Louvre which don't need modifiers, and The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) which is more explicitly identified. It is your call as to how presumably famous, or less than famous, you want them to be. And I'm well aware that oftentimes a symphony, a ballet and a theatre company will share the same space; the map idea I have for the district has room for eight prominent buildings, so if you want to combine some of the above and add a couple others in their place, please let us know.

I'll wrap the Alsobrook Conservatory around the relevant buildings on the local arts and entertainment district map as best I can. I'll leave some areas with buildings suggestive of other schools (Fine Arts; Archaeology; Trapeze, Clown and Lion-Taming School are all possibilities) without identifying them in case someone else wants to spin-off another role-play thread. We'll keep the Royal Palace and government buildings off-stage as being elsewhere (more centrally located) in Rethel; this allows Plembobria to better define that district himself.

And Plembobria, what nationality of surnames do most of your citizens have? Most Alunyan surnames are Italian or Indian surnames for example. Are yours Dutch, German, English or some other nationality? It would help all of us in coming up with reasonable sounding names if we have to for local minor characters, without pestering you every time for a name for a florist, or a pet food sales representative, or a saleswoman in a dress boutique.

And by all means, Fenichi feel free to chip in some ideas!

The Principessa will be looking forward to the stern piano instructor with the Eastern European accent. Her Highness's favorite composer is Fryderyk Chopin, and she will likely select one of his pieces as part of her audition, if permitted.

>^,,^<
[me]

 

[plembobria]

Alright, for the location of the Arts & Entertainment District. It have it in the East quadrant with a reasonable distance from the State District. It is a square, as per your request. If you haven't seen it already, here is a map of Rethel with the Arts & Entertainment district added:

Spoiler: Map

Rethel is a planned city. Zoning laws are strict. Anywho, if you're making a map of the Arts & Entertainment District. It would be nice if you made it in vector (svg) format. You don't have to, but it would allow me to incorporate it into the main Rethel map, as well as reproduce the image at any size. You can make vectors in Inkscape. It should be easy enough. If you've already started by the time you read this, don't bother.

Addresses in Plembobria look like this:

123456 Somewhere St. E
Rethel, CD Z4YL6

The house number is always 6 digits. In Rethel, the name of the street is always followed by the quadrant it is in. The name of the city is next, followed by the abbreviated name of the province (in Rethel, this is CD for "Capital District"). The Postal Code is always starts with a Z, followed by a number, and then a Y followed by a letter and a number. The entire Arts & Entertainment District is in the postal code Z8YA7.

The two main streets in the district are Chestnut Avenue (North to South) and Queen Nara Boulevard (East to West)

For the names of the various buildings. Museums and theaters tend to be named after people, so I'll go with that scheme.

• The Arthur H. Heinrich Museum of Fine Arts
• The Rhen (Seems like a name for a modern art museum, I don't know why, but it does.)
• Steinberg Institute for Plembobrian History
• The Hodge-Podge (State Circus. Plembobrians have a high regard for humor)
• The King Philip II Royal Opera House
• The Benjamin R. Stanford Symphony Hall
• The Queen Nara Royal Ballet (Queen Nara is probably the most beloved of all Plembobrian monarchs. She was herself a ballerina. This building was built in her honor, and is the largest tourist attraction in the district. The two main streets should intersect at a fairly large round-a-bout with the Ballet in the center.)
• The Rethel Performing Arts Center (Theater)
• Greyface Comedy Club

Of course, Alsobrook needs a rival, Rethel Institute of Performing Arts, they have the same kind of relationship that USC and UCLA have. Except their rivalry is generally about the quality of each school's alumni and faculty, rather than sports. RIPA is public, Alsobrook is obviously private.

i.e. A professor from Alsobrook might say, "We will not accept such mediocre performance, this isn't RIPA."

An unrelated fine arts college, The Rethel Academy of Art, is also in the district.

There is an Apostolic Nunciature in the State District, and a cathedral somewhere in the South Quadrant.

People usually have English or German surnames, and occasionally Arab ones. Monarch's middle names are usually taken from Roman Emperors.

 

[Alunya]

You mean the University of Southern California and Westwood High School, don't you?

I think I'll make just a brief map to give you some ideas, but let you make the map for the area so that it'll fit in with your overall plan for Rethel. It is your capital after all!

What are the mass transit options? Does Rethel have a subway system? (The Principessa does not know how to drive, so unless a car and driver are assigned, she'll be on foot, or bicycle, or llama.)

Is it possible a small Catholic church might be tucked in the Arts and Entertainment district somewhere? What would the name of the parish be? Would there be an associated elementary school, or a shelter for the homeless? Who would manage the church office? And who is the priest? Even a Principessa will sin, and confession is a key sacrament.

By the way, although I use a lot of Arab nation imagery, it doesn't mean that Alunya is Arabic. The predominant religions are Roman Catholic, two branches of Syro-Malabar Catholicism, and Indian-style Buddhism. It's just that our climate has a lot in common with coastal North Africa (hence the riads), and we have strong strains from the Sea Peoples. (It was our punitive expedition to punish those who stopped supplying us with the amber we desire -- how were we to know that the Mediterranean wasn't the fabled Northern Sea from which amber came?) *hint -- mice and amber are wonderful gifts!*

His Royal Majesty might want to consider adding an outside expert from a local university familiar with the Alunyan culture to his retinue. Maybe there is an expatriate Alunyan professor of anthropology, history or sociology, who could answer His Royal Majesty's questions in character? If one of the King's ministries advertised such a position, a suitable candidate might apply if the salary was sufficient.

I'm sure the Principessa will be looking to a trusted fellow student from Plembobria for advice of the same nature.

 

[Alunya]

Work in Progress!

Does anyone have any idea as to how to get rid of that tsunami bar in the table headers?

Spoiler: Transcript of Records

TNPCTS - The North Pacific Credit Transfer System​

NAME OF SENDING INSTITUTION: Universita degli Studi di Santa Catalina (UNISCAT)
Faculty/Department of: Facolta di Musica
TNPCTS departmental coordinator: Dottoressa Emilia Chierici
Telephone: (IDD) + 30 + 4205 + 3204 + 5201-4300
Facsimile: (IDD) + 30 + 4205 + 3204 + 5201-4303
E-Mail: emilia.chierici@musica.uniscat.edu.ay
[c] NAME OF STUDENT: Olivotto, Magdalena Isabella Giulietta Amadea Teodora
Date and place of birth: 1992 August 22 / Ronronne, Alunya
Gender: Female

Course
No.[c]Course Title[c]

Duration of
Course Unit (1)​

[c]

Local
Grade (2)​

[c]

TNPCTS
Grade (3)​

[c]

TNPCTS
Credit (4)​

[c]001000[c]Physical Exercise for Tactics and Survival
[c]

Y​

[c]

52​

[c]

B​

[c]

12​

[c]024130[c]Dramaturgy[c]

Y​

[c]

54​

[c]

A​

[c]

12​

[c]325252[c]Analysis of Film[c]

Y​

[c]

51​

[c]

B​

[c]

12​

[c]325300[c]Music History II (1600-1800 AD)[c]

Y​

[c]

100​

[c]

A​

[c]

12​

[c]004223[c]History of Contemporary Art[c]

Y​

[c]

54​

[c]

A​

[c]

12​

[c]001100[c]History of Warfare[c]

1S​

[c]

100​

[c]

A​

[c]

6​

[c]122205[c]Musical Drama[c]

1S​

[c]

100 e lode​

[c]

A+​

[c]

6​

[c]001300[c]Basic Officer Service Standards[c]

Y​

[c]

54​

[c]

A​

[c]

12​

[c]020025[c]Alunyan Literature Contemporary[c]

Y​

[c]

53​

[c]

B​

[c]

12​

[c]024123[c]Music Theory[c]

Y​

[c]

100​

[c]

A​

[c]

12​

[c]001200[c]Theory of Warfare[c]

1S​

[c]

53​

[c]

B​

[c]

6​

[c]443411[c]Music History IV (1900-1940 AD)[c]

1S​

[c]

100​

[c]

A​

[c]

6​

[c]001410[c]Military Logistics[c]

1S​

[c]

50​

[c]

B​

[c]

6​

[c]133111[c]Basic Computer[c]

1S​

[c]

43​

[c]

C​

[c]

6​

[c]143425[c]Sound of Music (Acoustical Physics)[c]

1S​

[c]

50​

[c]

B​

[c]

6​

[c]502330[c]Philosophy and Aesthetics of Music[c]

Y​

[c]

54​

[c]

A​

[c]

12​

[c]024155[c]Ethnomusicology[c]

Y​

[c]

55​

[c]

A​

[c]

12​

[c]001430[c]Battle Planning and Execution[c]

1S​

[c]

51​

[c]

B​

[c]

6​

[c]325412[c]Laboratory of Music (Musical Performance)[c]

1S​

[c]

100 e lode​

[c]

A+​

[c]

6​

[c]135442[c]Psychology of Communication[c]

1S​

[c]

53​

[c]

B​

[c]

6​

[c]001503[c]Peacekeeping and Counter-Insurgency[c]

1S​

[c]

44​

[c]

C​

[c]

6​

[c]143242[c]Forms of Poetry for Music[c]

1S​

[c]

52​

[c]

B​

[c]

6​

[c]325424[c]Internship (Musical Performance)[c]

1S​

[c]

100 e lode​

[c]

A+​

[c]

6​

[c]000113[c]Cultural Anthropology[c]

Y​

[c]

52​

[c]

B​

[c]

12​

[c]325255[c]Music History III (1800-1900 AD)[c]

Y​

[c]

100 e lode​

[c]

A+​

[c]

12​

[c]001505[c]Military Band[c]

1S​

[c]

54​

[c]

A​

[c]

6​

[c]325420[c]Seminar of Music[c]

1S​

[c]

100​

[c]

A​

[c]

6​

[c]211540[c]Thesis[c]

1S​

[c]

55​

[c]

A​

[c]

6​

(1) (2) (3) (4) see explanation on following pages​

Date: 25 October 2014

Diplomas/Degrees awarded:
Laurea della Musica
Commissione, Sottotenente, Fanteria Real Marina d'Alunya

Signature of registrar/dean/administration officer:
<Insert Signature Image Here>
Registrar

Stamp of Institution:
<Insert Stamp Image Here>

---

Descriptor [c] Definition [c]1S[c]One (1) semester[c]1T[c]One (1) term/trimester[c]2S[c]Two (2) semesters[c]2T[c]Two (2) terms/trimesters[c]Y[c]One (1) full academic year

UNISCAT mark: [c]

Recommended TNPCTS Grade:​

[c]100 e lode[c]

A+​

[c]54-100[c]

A​

[c]50-53[c]

B​

[c]42-45[c]

C​

[c]35-41[c]

D​

[c]33-34[c]

E​

[c]0-32[c]

FAIL​

TNPCTS
Grade​

[c]

% of successful
students normally
achieving the grade​

[c]

Definition​

[c]

A+​

[c]

5​

[c]

MORE THAN EXCELLENT -- very outstanding performance without errors​

[c]

A​

[c]

10​

[c]

EXCELLENT -- outstanding performance with only minor errors​

[c]

B​

[c]

25​

[c]

VERY GOOD -- above the average standard but with some errors​

[c]

C​

[c]

30​

[c]

GOOD -- generally sound work with a number of notable errors​

[c]

D​

[c]

25​

[c]

SATISFACTORY -- fair but with significant shortcomings​

[c]

E​

[c]

10​

[c]

SUFFICIENT -- performance meets the minimum criteria​

[c]

FX​

[c]

-​

[c]

FAIL -- some more work required before the credit can be awarded​

[c]

F​

[c]

-​

[c]

FAIL -- considerable further work is required​

60 TNPCTS credits is equivalent to 60 UNISCAT credits​

---

Spoiler: Student Visa Application Form Completed

Ministry of Education
Student Visa service

---

This page must be signed by an authorized official of the Ministry of Education or Internal Security

1.

Family Name
_______ Olivotto _______
[c]
[c]First (given) name (do not enter middle names)
_______ Magdalena ______
[c]

[c]Country of Birth
_______ Alunya _________
[c]Date of birth
22 / 08 / 1992
[c]Country of citizenship
_______ Alunya _________
[c]Admission number
______________________

2.

School name
Alsobrook Conservatory of Performing Arts [c]School official to be notified of students arrival in Plembobria (Name and Title)
Stanis?awa Szymanowska, Graduate Admissions Officer [c]School code and approval date
_______ Z46T ___________ approved on --/--/--

3. This certificate is issued to the student named above for:
(check and fill out as appropriate)
[ X ]Initial attendance at this school
[_]Continued attendance at this school
[_]School transfer
transferred from____________
[_]Use by dependencies entering the Kingdom
[_]Other_____________[c]4. Level of education the student is pursuing or will pursue in Plembobria:
(check only one)
[_]Primary
[_]Secondary
[_]Bachelor's
[ X]Master's
[_]Doctorate
[_]Language training
[_]Other[c]5. The student named above has been accepted for a full course of study at
The Alsobrook Conservatory of Performing Arts
majoring in Music (Performance)__.[c]

(signature of education official)

---

 

[plembobria]

Perhaps the Principessa has a chauffeur?

 

[plembobria]

A work in progress as well.

Spoiler: Application for student visa

Ministry of Education
Student Visa service

---

This page must be signed by an authorized official of the Ministry of Education or Internal Security

1.

Family Name
______________________
[c]
[c]First (given) name (do not enter middle names)
______________________
[c]

[c]Country of Birth
______________________
[c]Date of birth
__/__/____
[c]Country of citizenship
______________________
[c]Admission number
______________________

2.

School name
______________________[c]School official to be notified of students arrival in Plembobria (Name and Title)
______________________[c]School code and approval date
147A Z46T B5A8 approved on --/--/--

3. This certificate is issued to the student named above for:
(check and fill out as appropriate)
[_]Initial attendance at this school
[_]Continued attendance at this school
[_]School transfer
transferred from____________
[_]Use by dependencies entering the Kingdom
[_]Other_____________[c]4. Level of education the student is pursuing or will pursue in Plembobria:
(check only one)
[_]Primary
[_]Secondary
[_]Bachelor's
[_]Master's
[_]Doctorate
[_]Language training
[_]Other[c]5. The student named above has been accepted for a full course of study at
______________________
majoring in______________________.[c](signature of applicant)
(signature of education official)

---

Spoiler: Student Visa Application Form (Even More) Completed

Ministry of Education
Student Visa service

---

This page must be signed by an authorized official of the Ministry of Education or Internal Security

1.

Family Name
_______ Olivotto _______
[c]
[c]First (given) name (do not enter middle names)
_______ Magdalena ______
[c]

[c]Country of Birth
_______ Alunya _________
[c]Date of birth
22 / 08 / 1992
[c]Country of citizenship
_______ Alunya _________
[c]Admission number
______________________

2.

School name
Alsobrook Conservatory of Performing Arts [c]School official to be notified of students arrival in Plembobria (Name and Title)
Stanis?awa Szymanowska, Graduate Admissions Officer [c]School code and approval date
147A _Z46T_ B5A8 approved on 03 / 11 / 14

3. This certificate is issued to the student named above for:
(check and fill out as appropriate)
[ X ]Initial attendance at this school
[_]Continued attendance at this school
[_]School transfer
transferred from____________
[_]Use by dependencies entering the Kingdom
[_]Other_____________[c]4. Level of education the student is pursuing or will pursue in Plembobria:
(check only one)
[_]Primary
[_]Secondary
[_]Bachelor's
[ X ]Master's
[_]Doctorate
[_]Language training
[_]Other[c]5. The student named above has been accepted for a full course of study at
The Alsobrook Conservatory of Performing Arts
majoring in Music (Performance) __.[c]

---

---

---

---

 

[Alunya]

Work in Progress!

Spoiler: Welcome to The Alsobrook Conservatory! (speech)

A small, thin man walks into the dance rehearsal ballroom and stands before the assembled newcomers and parents. All eyes are focused on him.

"Good morning, and welcome to The Alsobrook Conservatory of Performing Arts!"

"I am Jack McGillicutty, and my claim to fame is that I am the proud father of world-reknown Dugazon and The Alsobrook Conservatory alumna Elise McGillicutty. For those parents in the room who are not as cognizant of the term Dugazon as their progeny, it means that my daughter is a mezzo-soprano, or middle soprano, with a voice highly sought for the French operas."

"I am also the President of The Alsobrook Conservatory."

"Now everyone of you admitted to The Alsobrook Conservatory will quickly recognize from my voice, my mannerisms, and my stage presence that I am definitely not one of you. I am a retired Chief Executive Officer of Air Baleen, which some of you may have flown to arrive here in Rethel. I am an administrator, and my job is to make sure that your instructors are given every opportunity to assist you in reaching your full potential."

"And while I call them instructors, they are really your senior colleagues. At The Alsobrook Conservatory, you are definitely not students. You will learn, but you will also teach, whether you realize it or not."

"Every one of you has already undergone a rigorous screening process, and I can say with certainty that each one of you is already capable of producing a virtuoso performance without any instruction whatsoever from The Alsobrook Conservatory. That may sound like a very brash thing for us to admit, given the exorbitant sums you are paying, or shall repay in the future."

"Our mission here is to assist you in realizing your full potential more quickly, more reliably, and with more certainty than you would attain on your own, or indeed with instruction from any other institution. You will have at your disposal the full resources of The Alsobrook Conservatory, that is, yourself, your senior colleagues, your junior colleagues and whomever else we can find to assist you."

"Now I can see some parents cringing, wondering whether their son or daughter is going to an actual college. I assure them, you are. The Alsobrook Conservatory is accredited, and you will learn the rote material expected of your disciplines. You will even learn it well, but it is ancillary to our mission. And I will say that there are institutions that do as well or even better in providing that sort of book education."

"Excellent performing arts appreciation, education and history majors can be found right across the square. They study what you do. That is the key difference."

"For those of you who haven't read through your handbooks fully, let me explain where we are at the moment. This is the "Buck" Cyrus Alsobrook administrative building, and my office is located three floors above us. Buck was a businessman who made his fortune selling soap by mail order in the mid-nineteenth century, and this building was the headquarters of his first factory."

"I hear some snickering. Yes, this entire district was once a very odiferous factory area, and I will discuss this at some length in a moment."

"The Alsobrook Conservatory has its origins in a disaster that befell the Alsobrook family in 1853 at their mansion. Due to a improperly closed damper on their coal furnace, Cyrus and Edna Alsobrook lost their children -- Amelia, Clarice, Josiah and Penelope -- to asphyxiation by carbon monoxide poisoning. Amelia was known for her fine singing voice, Clarice for playing the pianoforte, Josiah was quite the ham in costume, and Penelope for her dancing."

"Mrs. Alsobrook took to instructing neighborhood children in each of those arts in her mansion in West Rethel. In 1856, Mr. Alsobrook, under pressure from the citizens, built a new factory further east of here, and these grounds became surplus. Mrs. Alsobrook asked for the deed, and with her husbands assistance she had the factory razed with an eye towards establishing this conservatory."

"If you have not already discovered it, your junior colleagues refer to your disciplines by the Alsobrook children's names. Thus the King Philip II Royal Opera House is nicknamed the Amy, a name also used to refer to vocalists of either gender. Those of you who are musicians will find yourselves and the Benjamin R. Stanford Symphony Hall as Clarice. Josiah refers both the Rethel Performing Arts Center as well as actors. And Penny is not the cost of admission but the Queen Nara Royal Ballet, as those of you who are Pennies already know."

"You will also discover that the students, and I use the term appropriately now, over in Cowtown, are also familiar with The Alsobrook Conservatory shorthand. Our building maintenance department has a modest budget to remove derogatory graffiti that, to the common lay person, seems to have it out for Amy, Clarice, Josiah or Penny."

"Again, if you haven't read your handbook thoroughly, or are just a parent, Cowtown refers to the fact that the cattle brought in for rendering were penned there in stockyards. Some of your junior colleagues will refer to the institute on those less-than-hallowed grounds as the Rethel Industrial Pens Association. As the President of the The Alsobrook Conservatory, I must implore you to Stay Upwind, that is, to be polite and not use those terms in public."

"If you do happen to walk into Cowtown, you will see that a street running at an angle to the rectangular grid of Rethel subdivides their campus. That is Airr street. Because it results in unusual spaces, this has become the party area for young adults living in the district. I will remind you that your own duty is to your own art, and that the surest way to exit The Alsobrook Conservatory is to neglect that duty."

"I assure you that we at The Alsobrook Conservatory are quite serious about this. The establishment of the Royal Institute for Performing Arts, and the expropriation of what is now the Queen Nara Royal Ballet, the Rethel Performing Arts Center and the King Philip II Royal Opera House are all a direct consequence of this. When Queen Nara was a princess studying ballet at The Alsobrook Conservatory, she had a dalliance one evening that did not leave her suitably rested for a rehearsal the following day. She was dismissed, not for the dalliance but for being too tired to perform properly."

"If you step out into <NAME OF SQUARE> square, you can find a strip of cobblestones set apart from the rest in a band a meter and a half wide surrounding Amy and Clarice and fronting Josiah. That is the land remaining from the Royal family's seizure from The Alsobrook Conservatory. We maintain those cobblestones for two reasons. First, it reminds you of the serious expectation that you will adhere to The Alsobrook Conservatory standard. And secondly, it means that every theatre, opera and ballet patron must step across The Alsobrook Conservatory's property to partake."

"As for our musicians , I will remind you that the Benjamin R. Stanford Symphony Hall is still retained by The Alsobrook Conservatory. At least back then, the Royal family had a tin ear; I shall decline to comment on the current state of their hearing. Clarice is named after Mr. Alsobrook's closest associate, Benjamin R. Stanford, founder of the Flithendale Railroad company."

"And that brings us around again to Airr street. You may visit, but stay upwind. You may be bemused the students and their antics, but stay upwind. Above all, do not forget who you are, and why you are a member of The Alsobrook Conservatory -- stay upwind. For in Cowtown there exists a street called Airr Street; it is an acronym for the Alsobrook Industrial Rail Road, and it means you should always Stay Upwind."

"I thank you for your attention, and I shall turn you over to the accompanying faculty who will take each discipline on a familiarization tour of the campus," President McGullicutty concluded.

 

[plembobria]

Work in Progress!

Spoiler: Welcome to The Alsobrook Conservatory! (speech)

A small, thin man walks into the dance rehearsal ballroom and stands before the assembled newcomers and parents. All eyes are focused on him.

"Good morning, and welcome to The Alsobrook Conservatory of Performing Arts!"

"I am Jack McGillicutty, and my claim to fame is that I am the proud father of world-reknown Dugazon and The Alsobrook Conservatory alumna Elise McGillicutty. For those parents in the room who are not as cognizant of the term Dugazon as their progeny, it means that my daughter is a mezzo-soprano, or middle soprano, with a voice highly sought for the French operas."

"I am also the President of The Alsobrook Conservatory."

"Now everyone of you admitted to The Alsobrook Conservatory will quickly recognize from my voice, my mannerisms, and my stage presence that I am definitely not one of you. I am a retired Chief Executive Officer of Air Baleen, which some of you may have flown to arrive here in Rethel. I am an administrator, and my job is to make sure that your instructors are given every opportunity to assist you in reaching your full potential."

"And while I call them instructors, they are really your senior colleagues. At The Alsobrook Conservatory, you are definitely not students. You will learn, but you will also teach, whether you realize it or not."

"Every one of you has already undergone a rigorous screening process, and I can say with certainty that each one of you is already capable of producing a virtuoso performance without any instruction whatsoever from The Alsobrook Conservatory. That may sound like a very brash thing for us to admit, given the exorbitant sums you are paying, or shall repay in the future."

"Our mission here is to assist you in realizing your full potential more quickly, more reliably, and with more certainty than you would attain on your own, or indeed with instruction from any other institution. You will have at your disposal the full resources of The Alsobrook Conservatory, that is, yourself, your senior colleagues, your junior colleagues and whomever else we can find to assist you."

"Now I can see some parents cringing, wondering whether their son or daughter is going to an actual college. I assure them, you are. The Alsobrook Conservatory is accredited, and you will learn the rote material expected of your disciplines. You will even learn it well, but it is ancillary to our mission. And I will say that there are institutions that do as well or even better in providing that sort of book education."

"Excellent performing arts appreciation, education and history majors can be found right across the square. They study what you do. That is the key difference."

"For those of you who haven't read through your handbooks fully, let me explain where we are at the moment. This is the "Buck" Cyrus Alsobrook administrative building, and my office is located three floors above us. Buck was a businessman who made his fortune selling soap by mail order in the mid-nineteenth century, and this building was the headquarters of his first factory."

"I hear some snickering. Yes, this entire district was once a very odiferous factory area, and I will discuss this at some length in a moment."

"The Alsobrook Conservatory has its origins in a disaster that befell the Alsobrook family in 1853 at their mansion. Due to a improperly closed damper on their coal furnace, Cyrus and Edna Alsobrook lost their children -- Amelia, Clarice, Josiah and Penelope -- to asphyxiation by carbon monoxide poisoning. Amelia was known for her fine singing voice, Clarice for playing the pianoforte, Josiah was quite the ham in costume, and Penelope for her dancing."

"Mrs. Alsobrook took to instructing neighborhood children in each of those arts in her mansion in West Rethel. In 1856, Mr. Alsobrook, under pressure from the citizens, built a new factory further east of here, and these grounds became surplus. Mrs. Alsobrook asked for the deed, and with her husbands assistance she had the factory razed with an eye towards establishing this conservatory."

"If you have not already discovered it, your junior colleagues refer to your disciplines by the Alsobrook children's names. Thus the King Philip II Royal Opera House is nicknamed the Amy, a name also used to refer to vocalists of either gender. Those of you who are musicians will find yourselves and the Benjamin R. Stanford Symphony Hall as Clarice. Josiah refers both the Rethel Performing Arts Center as well as actors. And Penny is not the cost of admission but the Queen Nara Royal Ballet, as those of you who are Pennies already know."

"You will also discover that the students, and I use the term appropriately now, over in Cowtown, are also familiar with The Alsobrook Conservatory shorthand. Our building maintenance department has a modest budget to remove derogatory graffiti that, to the common lay person, seems to have it out for Amy, Clarice, Josiah or Penny."

"Again, if you haven't read your handbook thoroughly, or are just a parent, Cowtown refers to the fact that the cattle brought in for rendering were penned there in stockyards. Some of your junior colleagues will refer to the institute on those less-than-hallowed grounds as the Rethel Industrial Pens Association. As the President of the The Alsobrook Conservatory, I must implore you to Stay Upwind, that is, to be polite and not use those terms in public."

"If you do happen to walk into Cowtown, you will see that a street running at an angle to the rectangular grid of Rethel subdivides their campus. That is Airr street. Because it results in unusual spaces, this has become the party area for young adults living in the district. I will remind you that your own duty is to your own art, and that the surest way to exit The Alsobrook Conservatory is to neglect that duty."

"I assure you that we at The Alsobrook Conservatory are quite serious about this. The establishment of the Royal Institute for Performing Arts, and the expropriation of what is now the Queen Nara Royal Ballet, the Rethel Performing Arts Center and the King Philip II Royal Opera House are all a direct consequence of this. When Queen Nara was a princess studying ballet at The Alsobrook Conservatory, she had a dalliance one evening that did not leave her suitably rested for a rehearsal the following day. She was dismissed, not for the dalliance but for being too tired to perform properly."

"If you step out into <NAME OF SQUARE> square, you can find a strip of cobblestones set apart from the rest in a band a meter and a half wide surrounding Amy and Clarice and fronting Josiah. That is the land remaining from the Royal family's seizure from The Alsobrook Conservatory. We maintain those cobblestones for two reasons. First, it reminds you of the serious expectation that you will adhere to The Alsobrook Conservatory standard. And secondly, it means that every theatre, opera and ballet patron must step across The Alsobrook Conservatory's property to partake."

"As for our musicians , I will remind you that the Benjamin R. Stanford Symphony Hall is still retained by The Alsobrook Conservatory. At least back then, the Royal family had a tin ear; I shall decline to comment on the current state of their hearing. Clarice is named after Mr. Alsobrook's closest associate, Benjamin R. Stanford, founder of the Flithendale Railroad company."

"And that brings us around again to Airr street. You may visit, but stay upwind. You may be bemused the students and their antics, but stay upwind. Above all, do not forget who you are, and why you are a member of The Alsobrook Conservatory -- stay upwind. For in Cowtown there exists a street called Airr Street; it is an acronym for the Alsobrook Industrial Rail Road, and it means you should always Stay Upwind."

"I thank you for your attention, and I shall turn you over to the accompanying faculty who will take each discipline on a familiarization tour of the campus," President McGullicutty concluded.

This made my day.

 

[Malvad]

I would love to join if I may. The former royal family of Malvad could have relatives in Plembobria.

 

[Alunya]

The former royal family of Malvad probably has relatives in Alunya, McMasterdonia and other nations as well. And the converse may also be true. But whose cousins are located where is perhaps a suitable topic for another thread.

While additional blue bloods are welcome, there is also a pressing need for additional characters, either as students, faculty, shopkeepers, patrons or tourists -- even pick-pockets! At some point a Roman Catholic priest for the nearest parish to ACPA could also be useful, if anyone else is familiar w/ the RC church.

And one may play several characters -- sometimes out of necessity. Feel free to use your imagination!

Plembobria, let me know if I should change anything in that speech. I had to make a lot of assumptions about Rethel's history, some of which may not accord with how you envision your nation. I'll make any necessary corrections. It is just a first draft.

>^,,^<
Alunya

 

[plembobria]

Plembobria, let me know if I should change anything in that speech. I had to make a lot of assumptions about Rethel's history, some of which may not accord with how you envision your nation. I'll make any necessary corrections. It is just a first draft.

It's fine I guess. However, it is maintained by the Royal Family that Queen Nara (mother of King Tozian) remained chaste until her marriage to Sir Gothe. (Who could possibly part Malvadian?) But she was only human...

It also happens that her relatively poor experience at Alsobrook led her to endow RIPA.

There is a Catholic church, Our Lady of the Four Quadrants, near the District but not in it.

Rethel has a bus service, The Rethel Metropolitan Transit Authority. I think it is rather unseemly for a princess to ride on a bus with smelly, urban people. Don't you?

Alsobrooks's retention of The Benjamin R. Stanford Symphony Hall should allow the King to take revenge on them for not allowing him to attend the evaluations. Something along the lines of a lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Commerce. I might even contact Romanoffia to serve as an IC judge, if he agrees.

 

[Alunya]

It's fine I guess. However, it is maintained by the Royal Family that Queen Nara (mother of King Tozian) remained chaste until her marriage to Sir Gothe. (Who could possibly part Malvadian?) But she was only human...

It also happens that her relatively poor experience at Alsobrook led her to endow RIPA.

Ah, I already made a faulty assumption! I assumed that Queen Nara was a long-deceased monarch; I certainly didn't anticipate that she would be King Tozian's mother!

Would it be acceptable to you to name some other princess, in her prime ballerina student years sometime between 1895 and 1915, who was tossed out of The Alsobrook Conservatory for the reason cited previously? My thinking was that not only was she ejected, but it gave her father or mother (the ruling monarch, whomever s/he may have been) the impetus to actually found the Rethel Institute of Performing Arts.

Although I could certainly see Queen Nara enhancing the endowment of RIPA when, as a princess, she applied to ACPA and was rejected as a candidate for admission. She is probably RIPA's most revered alumnae, and had remarkable disdain for The Association of Car Park Attendants as RIPA alumni refer to The Alsobrook Conservatory!

What I'm really trying to drive at is some inherent tension:

• Between the private ACPA and the public RIPA in general
• Between the elitist superior attitude of ACPA and the more pragmatic RIPA
• Between the merit-based proletarian ACPA and the blue-blood friendly RIPA
• Between the more international ACPA and the domestic RIPA
• Between the small and select ACPA and the large and inclusive inclusive RIPA
• Between the narrow scope of ACPA and the broader scope of RIPA

It isn't that the tension leads to outright hostility, but it serves as an undercurrent, and an underpinning for characters. The Principessa is likely to feel somewhat uncomfortable with the anti-nobility attitude prevalent at ACPA, yet also have a sense of personal achievement because she attends the ACPA. And King Tozian will certainly have his own headaches with ACPA!

There is a Catholic church, Our Lady of the Four Quadrants, near the District but not in it.

The Four Quadrants sounds a bit odd. Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Lourdes or Our Lady of Guadeloupe each has a better ring. Many Catholic parishes are named after saints and apostles. Just saying -- we'll go with whatever you choose.

Rethel has a bus service, The Rethel Metropolitan Transit Authority. I think it is rather unseemly for a princess to ride on a bus with smelly, urban people. Don't you?

A princess certainly does not ride the bus, I agree. I was suggesting a subway stop because of the large number of attractions in the area. High-end patrons will drive or be chauffeured, but your common tourist will use more common means to move about.

But we'll accept that there is no subway (at least in the vicinity). The Alsobrook Conservatory does not permit its junior colleagues to have personal automobiles due to the high density of the area. Alas, she won't be permitted to have a horse or a llama for the same reason. It won't matter one wit to the ACPA that Magdalena is a princess -- she can walk, ride a bike, or use the bus like everyone else. House rules.

Alsobrooks's retention of The Benjamin R. Stanford Symphony Hall should allow the King to take revenge on them for not allowing him to attend the evaluations. Something along the lines of a lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Commerce. I might even contact Romanoffia to serve as an IC judge, if he agrees.

That might be fun! But let's remember, it was the Royal Family of the House of Schlekenbakker (now Schlekenbakker-Gothe) that used eminent domain to seize the opera house, the ballet hall and the theatre from the ACPA (~1895-1915) in the first place.

As I said, King Tozian will have plenty of opportunities to encounter the Principessa. Let's agree to use the ACPA's rejection of his request as grounds for establishing the anti-imperial bent of the ACPA. It'll add to the tension, and give him something to complain about when he finally does get to speak with the Principessa (bearing in mind that she is proud to have made it into The Alsobrook Conservatory).

As a subplot, some of this inherent tension may be resolved depending on how the story evolves.

I have given Malvad's comments further thought, and I now think it would be advantageous to have three other young and eligible members of Royal Households present in the area. Some may already be attending as students (probably RIPA or the Rethel Academy of Arts).

One should be a male, preferably related to King Tozian as a cousin, who can serve as a wingman and possibly best man. (If he attends any institution, it might be the Rethel Academy of Arts, perhaps as a marble sculptor -- Alunya exports fine marble. His arms would, of course, be chiseled as a consequence.)

A second handsome young male prince (not in a direct line of succession), not related to King Tozian in any way, should serve as a potential rival to King Tozian for the Principessa. (Maybe attending RIPA to study to be a circus clown? That might be useful when visiting schoolchildren, after all...)

And third, there should likewise be another princess (again, not related to anyone of the other main characters, and not in a line of succession), who should serve as a rival to the Principessa for King Tozian's affections. (I strongly recommend an opera singer for a subplot I have in mind.)

The two rival suitors, male and female, should have no interest in each other. King Tozian's wingman may have a secret crush on either the Principessa or her rival -- or both -- or if one really wants to mix things up, upon the rival prince! By all means, surprise us.

This should provide all sorts of additional points of tension and contention.

Finally, I think RIPA folks refer to ACPA students as valets, the ACPA as The Association of Car Park Attendants, and emphasize that those fabled cobblestone strips are for Passenger Loading and Unloading Only. The ACPA does operate a number of parking garages in the area, collecting fees from patrons visiting the arts and entertainment district, so the remarks would be pretty spot-on albeit a bit cruel.

>^,,^<
[me]

 

[plembobria]

Ah, I already made a faulty assumption! I assumed that Queen Nara was a long-deceased monarch; I certainly didn't anticipate that she would be King Tozian's mother!

I don't see how that makes much of a difference. I should have told you that though. Her death was actually quite recent, King Tozian and his younger sister, Princess Nara II (He has a sister? Who knew!) are still kind of upset about it. Sir Gothe left Rethel to live on a farm in Northelfrith. Queen Nara was also the only female monarch to reign in Plembobrian history.

Would it be acceptable to you to name some other princess, in her prime ballerina student years sometime between 1895 and 1915, who was tossed out of The Alsobrook Conservatory for the reason cited previously? My thinking was that not only was she ejected, but it gave her father or mother (the ruling monarch, whomever s/he may have been) the impetus to actually found the Rethel Institute of Performing Arts.

Princess Sarita, daughter of Philip I, son of King Egbert himself. I think I'll change history and decide that King Tozian is the great-great-great-grandson of King Egbert. That allows for the country itself to be older. Frankly I don't think four generations is enough time have much of a history.

Although I could certainly see Queen Nara enhancing the endowment of RIPA when, as a princess, she applied to ACPA and was rejected as a candidate for admission. She is probably RIPA's most revered alumnae, and had remarkable disdain for The Association of Car Park Attendants as RIPA alumni refer to The Alsobrook Conservatory!

Sounds good.

The Four Quadrants sounds a bit odd. Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Lourdes or Our Lady of Guadeloupe each has a better ring. Many Catholic parishes are named after saints and apostles. Just saying -- we'll go with whatever you choose.

I'm familiar with the criteria for names of Catholic churches, I just wanted something unique, but it does, in fact, sound a bit odd. Of course I wanted to avoid Holy Cross or Sacred Heart, but I think we'll go with St. Mary of Good Counsel. You may play the part of the priest(s) there.

That might be fun! But let's remember, it was the Royal Family of the House of Schlekenbakker (now Schlekenbakker-Gothe) that used eminent domain to seize the opera house, the ballet hall and the theatre from the ACPA (~1895-1915) in the first place.

The Royal Family can't seize property by eminent domain anymore. The new constitution prevents that. If you don't care for this idea, I'll drop it.

Your description of the tension between RIPA and ACPA is exactly what I had in mind. I imagined that ACPA wouldn't give the Principessa special treatment simply because of her status.

One more thing, Mr. Alsobrook probably needs to have moved his factory into Flithendale, or another province. There are no factories in Rethel anymore.

I'll start drafting the letter that King Tozian will send to ACPA asking to attend the evaluations. I don't think I'll bother posting it until the RP actually starts, unless you really must see it.

 

[Malvad]

A second handsome young male prince (not in a direct line of succession), not related to King Tozian in any way, should serve as a potential rival to King Tozian for the Principessa. (Maybe attending RIPA to study to be a circus clown? That might be useful when visiting schoolchildren, after all...)

And third, there should likewise be another princess (again, not related to anyone of the other main characters, and not in a line of succession), who should serve as a rival to the Principessa for King Tozian's affections. (I strongly recommend an opera singer for a subplot I have in mind.)

The prince could be the former Prince Justin of Malvad. The royal family has been in hiding for quite some time because the military took control. Since democracy has returned Justin might consider returning to Malvad. He would also go under a fake name and have someone watching over him. I would prefer he not be a circus clown though. Perhaps maybe an symphonic director and cellist.

As for a princess, he could be in hiding with his older sister, the former Princess Hannah. She would be excellent as a vocal performer. She would be in a similar situation as Justin. They might not always associate in public to protect themselves. They could also be working together to keep Tozian and the Principessa separated so that they can pursue their affections.

 

[Alunya]

Ah, I already made a faulty assumption! I assumed that Queen Nara was a long-deceased monarch; I certainly didn't anticipate that she would be King Tozian's mother!

I don't see how that makes much of a difference. I should have told you that though. Her death was actually quite recent, King Tozian and his younger sister, Princess Nara II (He has a sister? Who knew!) are still kind of upset about it. Sir Gothe left Rethel to live on a farm in Northelfrith. Queen Nara was also the only female monarch to reign in Plembobrian history.

Good to know!

Would it be acceptable to you to name some other princess, in her prime ballerina student years sometime between 1895 and 1915, who was tossed out of The Alsobrook Conservatory for the reason cited previously? My thinking was that not only was she ejected, but it gave her father or mother (the ruling monarch, whomever s/he may have been) the impetus to actually found the Rethel Institute of Performing Arts.

Princess Sarita, daughter of Philip I, son of King Egbert himself. I think I'll change history and decide that King Tozian is the great-great-great-grandson of King Egbert. That allows for the country itself to be older. Frankly I don't think four generations is enough time have much of a history.

I'll change the ACPA welcoming speech to reflect that it was Princess Sarita and not Queen Nara who had the dalliance then.

I think we'll go with St. Mary of Good Counsel. You may play the part of the priest(s) there.

Excellent. I still invite third parties to play this important bit character -- a local priest in the closest Roman Catholic parish to Rethel's arts and entertainment district. Said priest will hear confessions, and his parish will be the parish of record if the Principessa becomes engaged. This means that this lowly priest will provide the mandatory marriage counselling for the engaged couple, whomever they may be. Otherwise I'll be having a puppet conversation with myself, and that is no fun for anyone.

Your description of the tension between RIPA and ACPA is exactly what I had in mind. I imagined that ACPA wouldn't give the Principessa special treatment simply because of her status.

One more thing, Mr. Alsobrook probably needs to have moved his factory into Flithendale, or another province. There are no factories in Rethel anymore.

I'll start drafting the letter that King Tozian will send to ACPA asking to attend the evaluations. I don't think I'll bother posting it until the RP actually starts, unless you really must see it.

We also need to keep the Rethel Academy of Arts in the mix as well. And yes, ACPA borders on being contemptuous of the high-born as well as the merely mediocre.

The Alsobrook family sold their interests long ago, and I'm sure Alsobrook Industries conforms with all laws both at home and abroad. A sizable endowment was granted to The Alsobrook Conservatory of Performing Arts, but it is no longer the sole, or even primary, source of revenues for the institution. Nevertheless, the first factory grounds still has some surprises buried beneath the modern cityscape of Rethel.

And I don't need to see King Tozian's letter until it arrives on the desk of Jack McGillicutty, President of The Alsobrook Conservatory.

The prince could be the former Prince Justin of Malvad. The royal family has been in hiding for quite some time because the military took control. Since democracy has returned Justin might consider returning to Malvad. He would also go under a fake name and have someone watching over him. I would prefer he not be a circus clown though. Perhaps maybe an symphonic director and cellist.

As for a princess, he could be in hiding with his older sister, the former Princess Hannah. She would be excellent as a vocal performer. She would be in a similar situation as Justin. They might not always associate in public to protect themselves. They could also be working together to keep Tozian and the Principessa separated so that they can pursue their affections.

Malvad, might I recommend a brooding artist then for the former Prince Justin? Or an actor, stage-hand or playwright? I only suggested a clown for a bit of light humor, but I'm trying for a mix and between the Principessa (piano) and the former Princess Hannah (operatic vocalist, perhaps a lirico-spinto soprano?), we have the musical stuff covered.

I really like the idea of a brother and sister team working for their own interests. King Tozian is under 25 apparently, and Principessa Magdalena is 22 years old. I also like the contrast between a King in his own land competing with a foreign refugee from a deposed royal family hiding out in his rival's kingdom!

Will King Tozian choose the well-bred and extremely talented Principessa? Or will fate intervene and a former Princess who put herself through operatic training at a public institution (RIPA) find luck and become the next Queen of Plembobria? Will the Principessa rebuff a king because she has fallen in love with a misunderstood former prince named Justin? And what of Princess Nara II? Will she torment her brother and his lover(s)?

If only we had an Italian (or Nessunian, *hint, hint*) professor of operatic composition! He could write such an opera for a bewitched King to win the heart of his beloved, whomever she may be, and make such a proposal scene in Act IV that a fair princess (deposed or not) would swoon! Would she say yes in the Intermezzo, an Intermezzo in G? And what will the her answer be? Will it be in English, or Italian? Stay tuned...

>^,,^<
Alunya

 

[Malvad]

I don't really want Justin to be brooding. But he could have issues with his sister sometimes and could worry about whether he can succeed. Maybe he could be a play director? He could still do orchestral directing maybe too.

 

[Alunya]

Rethel has a very competitive performing arts environment. There are lots of opportunities, of course, but also way too many talented individuals. While most hope to make it big, many do not. Those that move away do surprisingly well in other lands and places. It's a vibrant yet vicious scene with a synergy found in few places (London, New York, Moscow, Milan and Vienna come to mind).

Principessa Magdalena, for instance, plays the piano, the flute and the chitravina. She is a very good ballroom, belly and kuchipudi danseuse. She is also a very good soprano, though not of operatic quality. She's a Royal Alunyan Marine officer. Yet all that matters in Rethel's arts district is that she is a pianist; the rest of her skills are considered irrelevant, not worthy of consideration. And at that she's getting further training with no guarantee that she would find success in Rethel's competitive environment if she auditioned. She's clearly one of Alunya's most talented musicians already, and that just might not be good enough in Rethel.

I would expect most characters in the Rethel performing arts scene to be very talented at multiple roles and in multiple disciplines -- but the competition would compel almost every one of them to concentrate exclusively on their best talent in the hopes of making a name for themselves. There are very talented musicians on the Square with a hurdy-gurdy, a monkey and an open case who could play in professional symphonies in their homelands -- they just have that dream of making it in Rethel.

Even the clowns are amazing, if a bit cutthroat at times. (Did someone say Clown Fight on the Square?!!) Of course, some kids get scared of them.

By all means, if former Prince Justin is both a play director and a symphony conductor in Rethel, then he is a very attractive prospect to many women. His stock has greatly increased, as has his visibility, no doubt. I'm sure the Principessa would find him very fascinating -- if she could ever get close enough to meet him, that is. She might have to rely on the former Princess Hannah to make the necessary introductions, and hope she doesn't get brushed off with an autograph.

>^,,^<
Alunya

 

[plembobria]

I'll do some research. and try to play the part of the priest. I ask your indulgence when screw up.

That just wasn't funny.

 

[Alunya]

I'll do some research. and try to play the part of the priest. I ask your indulgence when screw up.

That just wasn't funny.

Yes, it was!

But we can always go over the Roman Catholic stuff here on the drafting plane first, if you would feel more comfortable with that. We're just getting started, and so there is no ruch on this aspect of the role-play. And who knows, maybe someone else will want and take that role?

>^,,^<
Alunya

 

[Nessuno]

If only we had an Italian (or Nessunian, *hint, hint*) professor of operatic composition! He could write such an opera for a bewitched King to win the heart of his beloved, whomever she may be, and make such a proposal scene in Act IV that a fair princess (deposed or not) would swoon! Would she say yes in the Intermezzo, an Intermezzo in G? And what will the her answer be? Will it be in English, or Italian? Stay tuned...

>^,,^<
Alunya

What's happens Alunya?

 

[Alunya]

Meow, Nessuno!

Here's what we've got cooking so far. Principessa Magdalena of Alunya will be going to the Kingdom of Plembobria to further her training as a pianist. While there, she will have the opportunity to meet King Tozian, who is a very eligible bachelor.

The former Czarina Hannah of Malvad is also in Rethel, the capitol of the Kingdom of Plembobria. Her younger brother, the former Prince Justin is also in hiding there. Hannah is a rival to Magdalena for the affections of Tozian. And Justin is a rival to Tozian for the affections of Magdalena.

What we have is a star-crossed love story that, one way or the other, is likely to see a Royal Wedding or two in the future, depending on how things work out.

And before one can have a wedding, one must have a proposal.

Now then, although we don't yet have a character to serve as Tozian's best man, I can see where Tozian and his best man cook up a scheme for Tozian to propose to whomever he chooses by commissioning an opera. Magdalena could be asked to write some Intermezzos to provide background music during the intermissions between acts, as she plays and composes for the piano very well. Hannah, on the other hand, can sing in the opera.

So what should this opera be about? Why, the very story of the whole thread! A King and his best friend commission a professor of operatic composition to write an opera. In the opera, the King's rival (similar to Prince Justin) tries to thwart the professor and sabotage the opera. He warns his sister, who will sing in the opera, not to sing because he fears it is a ruse for the King to propose to his beloved. He also tries to woo the musician (pianist, namely Magdalena), and when that fails, warns her that the King has commissioned an opera to propose to his own sister. All this is an attempt by the rival prince to poison the King's relationships, and in which the King and his best man must make great efforts to keep the relationship(s) intact. The climax comes when the King makes his proposal, and his beloved, whomever she may be, accepts. In the final act, the grand wedding is held, and the audience leaves happily ever after.

And all good operas (and weddings) are written in Italian. So are you up to it? (We'll reduce the workload by limiting ourselves to the key excerpts -- for instance, the King's proposal, or the Principessa's or Czarina's acceptance of the proposal. No one expects a full opera with lyrics and score. This isn't a fast-paced role-play, so there will be plenty of time to use the drafting plane here to refine things.)

The arts and entertainment district in Rethel, the capitol of the Kingdom of Plembobria, has many tourists, students. faculty, artists, actors, vocalists, musicians and circus clowns from all over the world. In fact, many of the local shop keepers are also likely to be foreigners -- just one big melting pot of humanity. So just about any NationStates player can fit right in! Even multiple characters are welcome.

And we need a Dispersian professor of opera from Nessuno.

>^,,^<
Alunya

 

[Nessuno]

Sure, what can i do?

 

[Syrixia]

I've got an idea-

The King's rival sabotages the opera by starting an international crisis between Plembobria and Syrixia. Syrixia invades, and Plembobria tries to protect itself from the Syrixian People's Army; the Plembobrians successfully defend against the five million man Syrixian force, and a diplomatic solution is resolved when everyone figure's out the King's rival was behind it. Then, as an apology, the Syrixian ambassador to Plembobria along with the Premier and everyone's happy, and the King comes on stage and proposes to the Czarina/Principessa at the end of the opera.

And as for characters, our esteemed General, Clovis Von Winstin, can be Syrixia's main character in the role-play. And when I say main character I mean the Syrixian who appears the most out of all Syrixians in the role-play. Don't worry, I'm not a narcissist.

Thoughts?

 

[Nessuno]

Meow, Nessuno!

Here's what we've got cooking so far. Principessa Magdalena of Alunya will be going to the Kingdom of Plembobria to further her training as a pianist. While there, she will have the opportunity to meet King Tozian, who is a very eligible bachelor.

The former Czarina Hannah of Malvad is also in Rethel, the capitol of the Kingdom of Plembobria. Her younger brother, the former Prince Justin is also in hiding there. Hannah is a rival to Magdalena for the affections of Tozian. And Justin is a rival to Tozian for the affections of Magdalena.

What we have is a star-crossed love story that, one way or the other, is likely to see a Royal Wedding or two in the future, depending on how things work out.

And before one can have a wedding, one must have a proposal.

Now then, although we don't yet have a character to serve as Tozian's best man, I can see where Tozian and his best man cook up a scheme for Tozian to propose to whomever he chooses by commissioning an opera. Magdalena could be asked to write some Intermezzos to provide background music during the intermissions between acts, as she plays and composes for the piano very well. Hannah, on the other hand, can sing in the opera.

So what should this opera be about? Why, the very story of the whole thread! A King and his best friend commission a professor of operatic composition to write an opera. In the opera, the King's rival (similar to Prince Justin) tries to thwart the professor and sabotage the opera. He warns his sister, who will sing in the opera, not to sing because he fears it is a ruse for the King to propose to his beloved. He also tries to woo the musician (pianist, namely Magdalena), and when that fails, warns her that the King has commissioned an opera to propose to his own sister. All this is an attempt by the rival prince to poison the King's relationships, and in which the King and his best man must make great efforts to keep the relationship(s) intact. The climax comes when the King makes his proposal, and his beloved, whomever she may be, accepts. In the final act, the grand wedding is held, and the audience leaves happily ever after.

And all good operas (and weddings) are written in Italian. So are you up to it? (We'll reduce the workload by limiting ourselves to the key excerpts -- for instance, the King's proposal, or the Principessa's or Czarina's acceptance of the proposal. No one expects a full opera with lyrics and score. This isn't a fast-paced role-play, so there will be plenty of time to use the drafting plane here to refine things.)

The arts and entertainment district in Rethel, the capitol of the Kingdom of Plembobria, has many tourists, students. faculty, artists, actors, vocalists, musicians and circus clowns from all over the world. In fact, many of the local shop keepers are also likely to be foreigners -- just one big melting pot of humanity. So just about any NationStates player can fit right in! Even multiple characters are welcome.

And we need a Dispersian professor of opera from Nessuno.

>^,,^<
Alunya

The Disputed Territories of Territorio di Nessuno provides you with Erik Daaé, orchestra director at the opera house of Ehm.

Signed,
Valerie Page, Minister of Culture

 

[Alunya]

The Disputed Territories of Territorio di Nessuno provides you with Erik Daaé, orchestra director at the opera house of Ehm.

Signed,
Valerie Page, Minister of Culture

Excellent! Thank you, Nessuno!

Now it will be a while before we need that character in the role-play. You might read through the thread carefully and note that there are three schools in the area of Rethel's arts and entertainment district. Daaé will probably be a professor at either The Alsobrook Conservatory of Performing Arts, which is a very selective and elite private institution (which Principessa Magdalena will be applying to attend), or the Rethel Institute of Performing Arts which is a publicly funded, and royally supported, larger and more general purpose performing arts institution. Both are suitable for your character to teach at -- ask Kingdom of Plembobria which institution you ought to have him teach at.

The third school is of course the Rethel Academy of Art.

 

[Syrixia]

1. Why does royalty have to apply to attend a school, regardless of selectivity? I'm curious

2. Thoughts on my above idea?

 

[Alunya]

1). Because The Alsobrook Conservatory of Performing Arts, located in Rethel, the Kingdom of Plembobria, is an exceptionally superb institution of higher education for those who wish to perform as actors, operatic vocalists, classical musicians and ballet dancers. It is extremely competitive to enter, as anyone would discover in reading this planning thread. In the royal house of the Kingdom of Plembobria only two members have even dared to apply. Princess Sarita was actually admitted over a century ago, but was expelled for insufficient performance during a rehearsal. Queen Nara, King Tozian's mother, applied more recently, but was rejected as not of sufficient talent after her audition. Blue blood is irrelevant as a qualification for entry.

2) It is a terrific troll and a terrible idea. That is me exercising my freedom of speech. Others may have different opinions on the matter, and are free to express them without fear or favor.

>^,,^<
Alunya

 

[Syrixia]

1). Because The Alsobrook Conservatory of Performing Arts, located in Rethel, the Kingdom of Plembobria, is an exceptionally superb institution of higher education for those who wish to perform as actors, operatic vocalists, classical musicians and ballet dancers. It is extremely competitive to enter, as anyone would discover in reading this planning thread. In the royal house of the Kingdom of Plembobria only two members have even dared to apply. Princess Sarita was actually admitted over a century ago, but was expelled for insufficient performance during a rehearsal. Queen Nara, King Tozian's mother, applied more recently, but was rejected as not of sufficient talent after her audition. Blue blood is irrelevant as a qualification for entry.

2) It is a terrific troll and a terrible idea. That is me exercising my freedom of speech. Others may have different opinions on the matter, and are free to express them without fear or favor.

>^,,^<
Alunya

Well I was actually intending to have this be the case, but your thoughts are appreciated. However, I'd like Syrixia to be in the role-play as well, two ideas here.

1. Syrixia could turn to the dark side and help the King's rival sabotage the opera and stage a coup; Syrixia then suddenly turns around and exposes the King's rival right before he sabotages the opera; the plan is foiled.

2. Syrixia's character is a stingy old movie scout, who is skeptical about the opera, and the actors have to do their best to win his support and take off in film.

 

[Alunya]

1). Because The Alsobrook Conservatory of Performing Arts, located in Rethel, the Kingdom of Plembobria, is an exceptionally superb institution of higher education for those who wish to perform as actors, operatic vocalists, classical musicians and ballet dancers. It is extremely competitive to enter, as anyone would discover in reading this planning thread. In the royal house of the Kingdom of Plembobria only two members have even dared to apply. Princess Sarita was actually admitted over a century ago, but was expelled for insufficient performance during a rehearsal. Queen Nara, King Tozian's mother, applied more recently, but was rejected as not of sufficient talent after her audition. Blue blood is irrelevant as a qualification for entry.

2) It is a terrific troll and a terrible idea. That is me exercising my freedom of speech. Others may have different opinions on the matter, and are free to express them without fear or favor.

>^,,^<
Alunya

Well I was actually intending to have this be the case, but your thoughts are appreciated. However, I'd like Syrixia to be in the role-play as well, two ideas here.

1. Syrixia could turn to the dark side and help the King's rival sabotage the opera and stage a coup; Syrixia then suddenly turns around and exposes the King's rival right before he sabotages the opera; the plan is foiled.

2. Syrixia's character is a stingy old movie scout, who is skeptical about the opera, and the actors have to do their best to win his support and take off in film.

Syrixia, my cat licks her butt.

>^,,^<
Alunya

 

[Syrixia]

1). Because The Alsobrook Conservatory of Performing Arts, located in Rethel, the Kingdom of Plembobria, is an exceptionally superb institution of higher education for those who wish to perform as actors, operatic vocalists, classical musicians and ballet dancers. It is extremely competitive to enter, as anyone would discover in reading this planning thread. In the royal house of the Kingdom of Plembobria only two members have even dared to apply. Princess Sarita was actually admitted over a century ago, but was expelled for insufficient performance during a rehearsal. Queen Nara, King Tozian's mother, applied more recently, but was rejected as not of sufficient talent after her audition. Blue blood is irrelevant as a qualification for entry.

2) It is a terrific troll and a terrible idea. That is me exercising my freedom of speech. Others may have different opinions on the matter, and are free to express them without fear or favor.

>^,,^<
Alunya

Well I was actually intending to have this be the case, but your thoughts are appreciated. However, I'd like Syrixia to be in the role-play as well, two ideas here.

1. Syrixia could turn to the dark side and help the King's rival sabotage the opera and stage a coup; Syrixia then suddenly turns around and exposes the King's rival right before he sabotages the opera; the plan is foiled.

2. Syrixia's character is a stingy old movie scout, who is skeptical about the opera, and the actors have to do their best to win his support and take off in film.

Syrixia, my cat licks her butt.

>^,,^<
Alunya

Is that a sign or approval for one of my ideas or a sign of pedophilia?

 

[plembobria]

2) It is a terrific troll and a terrible idea. That is me exercising my freedom of speech. Others may have different opinions on the matter, and are free to express them without fear or favor.

My goodness! The cat scratches!

Syrixia, your ideas aren't horrible, but this RP is much too complex at this point for an international incident. There will be other role-plays, many of which you will be included in, but this ones mostly planned out. So don't take this as a personal rejection. I'd like to RP with you in the future. But I'm busy with this for now.

Nessuno, your character can serve at RIPA, mostly because ACPA and the King aren't getting along. I don't think that he'd have one of their professor put on an opera for him.

 

[Syrixia]

Go below that post. I have two slightly less crazy ideas you'll be fine with.

 

[Nessuno]

Nessuno, your character can serve at RIPA, mostly because ACPA and the King aren't getting along. I don't think that he'd have one of their professor put on an opera for him.

All right.

 

[Syrixia]

So, what do you think of my two slightly less crazy ideas?

 

[plembobria]

1. Syrixia could turn to the dark side and help the King's rival sabotage the opera and stage a coup; Syrixia then suddenly turns around and exposes the King's rival right before he sabotages the opera; the plan is foiled.

The King's rival is being played by Malvad. If we wen't along with idea, we'd end up with tension between Malvad and Plembobria. I don't want that to happen.

2. Syrixia's character is a stingy old movie scout, who is skeptical about the opera, and the actors have to do their best to win his support and take off in film.

This is an opera. No one in it is interested in film.

Sadly, your ideas are rejected.

Alunya, is there anything else important that needs to be discussed?