Arcadia - Great Palace of Kolonos

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Members of the Royal Family (House of Cyrnos)

Queen Selene II
King consort Angelos (of Inachos)

Queen Mother Roxanne

Prince Andronikos
Prince Artemisios
Princess Euphemia

Great Officers of the Crown of Arcadia

Megas Konostaulos : Antonios Christilis
Megas Logariastes: Dimitris Manolidis
Megas Mystikos: Kaiti Lazakou
Hierophant of Palaiochori: Marios Harrilis
Keeper of the Palace: Vangelis Pavlakis

Important nobility in Palaiochori
The Duke and Duchess of Leonidio

Count of Juktas
Count of Astakos
Count of Semasus

Baron of Stratos
Baron of Zakros

Important religious heads in Palaiochori

Enoria of Palaiochori
Enoria of Stratos

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Location: Grand Hall
Day/Time: 1st of the Month of Poseidon, Year 7571 AC (1 January 1000) | 0:05 AM (AST)
Wearing: Imperial Aetolian nobility dress from the era
Content: New Year Speech
Tagging: Open (to Arcadians and foreign diplomats, no Hiererikonians)

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The light from the Great Hall caught the still waters of Lake Axos, itself covered by a scattering of small vessels. The imposing structure of the Great Palace sat above most of its surroundings in the Arcadian capital, with the scars of previous war evident even here. For the decade prior, a bloody internal struggle had consumed Arcadia and Selene's forebears had wrested power from the last of a line of emperors. The struggle had divided the nobility and taken a toll on the Kingdom and its finances. Accordingly, Selene had kept the festivities to a minimum, least she attract more attention than necessary. The centre of Aetolian culture was weak, and its enemies circled in their droves, ready to strike at the first sign of weakness.

Selene had aceeded to the throne upon the death of her father, a deeply unpopular glutton who ruled with little regard for restraint or the welfare of his people. His sole concern proved to be enriching his lifestyle from the already bare royal coffers. On one occasion this poor decision making was to be his undoing - he was drunk late one evening and fell into the lake. His mistress came looking for him and found him lifeless.

Selene was determined to forge a better path than her father. As she sat watching the moonlight cast its glow over the lake, she couldn't help but become bored of the evenings festivities as she watched her nobles drink and dance the night away. Her husband, Angelos of Inachos, sat a few feet away, talking excitedly to someone she did not recognise. In the room was a collection of the House of Bisaltica's most senior members, various Dukes, Duchesses and Princes from across the border to the North. Their attendance was a necessary price for their support, without it, Selene would be at the mercy of the Palaiochori elite - who had so far proven hostile to her presence in the Kolonos. Her husband provided an important truce in their struggle with the Loukos, without it too, Selene would have to endure the near constant stream of espionage from their sister house. Equally as important was limiting his influence in her court, and she quietly suspected some of his companions intentions were not quite so honest.

The Palace itself was a grand structure, having been home to the Great Aetolian Emperors of years past. Her staff had mostly retired for the night, but her Kanikleios sat nearby, ready to respond to Her Majesty's wishes.

Her Kanikleios (ie Chancellor)Sophocles Leventakos, looked towards her and nodded politely.

Sophocles Leventakos: "It's time, Your Grace."

Selene II: "If I must"

Selene stood and Leventakos signalled for the Hall's attention.

Sophocles Leventakos: "Her Majesty would like to speak!"

The noise level slowly dropped and faces slowly turned to face the young Queen. She took a step forward and stood proud in front of the crowd before her, ready to deliver another speech to a skeptical audience.

Selene II: "I would like to extend my warmest thanks for you all for joining me in celebrating this New Year. May Zeus and Hera bless us in our endeavours as we move forward together." A Homeric Enoria from Inachos turns his nose up at her deliberate mention of Hera. "We face challenging times as our enemies plot against us and our traditions are threatened! Our Aetolian brothers betray us to lie with the invaders! But first, our attention should be on our own realm, where our disagreements have left us in need of repair and poorly placed to deal with the coming challenge. A stunned silence emerges from the crowd. They were not expecting this much excitement tonight. "Let the gods guide us on our path to glory and let us mend our divides as a realm. But now, please enjoy the feast and build up our strength! Glory to Zeus and our Kingdom!"

A raucous applause bursts out of the crowd. Selene steps forward and starts talking with her courtiers. Leventakos smiles to himself from beside the throne, as he does, he catches the eye of Angelos who is admiring his wife from afar. The eye contact lingers for just a second too long. Angelos, looking suddenly flustered, stands and joins his wife among the guests.