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It’s interesting how there are some characters whose physical appearance is so important to their identity, and then there are others who we assume have a face, and hair.

#writing #characters

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Fantasy Guide to Royal Households and How they Work

When I say Households, I mean the entourage that follows around the royal family. The household went everywhere with them to care for their needs from the people who would empty their chamber pots to their noble companions. Most royal households are basically the same as noble ones, only on grander scale. Every royal had a household and an entourage as well as every noble at court.

Palace Personnel ~ The Commons

The commons were an intregal part of every household. They made up perhaps 80% of the work force. Royal courts were often on the road and never spent more than a few months at every palace. The court was constantly moving. Some positions were not permanent, meaning certain servants did not travel with the court because they were employed at the palace only. They would be paid by the Monarch's paymaster.

Scullion: The scullion was a relatively easy position to fill so they were often changed as the court went from palace to palace. They would be responsible for scrubbing and cleaning the servants quarters and the kitchens. They would scrub floors with lye, scour pots with sand, sweep put the fireplace and clean up after the other servants. They were the first to rise in a castle and tasked to light all the fires in the kitchens. Scullions would just be employed to the palace and serve a multitude of chambers

Laundress: The laundress was responsible for the cleaning of anything made of fabric in the household. Since they are handling unmentionables, they knew what happened behind closed bedchamber doors. They knew when the King visited the Queen or hadn't, they knew when marriages were consummated or not and they knew when the Queen and royal women were not pregnant. They often sold secrets to pad their pockets. Laundresses might be permanent staff but sometimes not.

Minstrels: The minstrel was a commoner hired to play an instrument or sing for the entertainment of the royal. A royal might staff a few at a time but they would always have one on hand. The minstrel would likely come with their masters as they travelled. The minstrel might serve the main royal household but a royal might retain their own.

Cook: The cook was one of the most important servants in the household. They would have the task of overseeing the running of the kitchens and keeping supplies in order. They would likely be on call at all times. Henry VIII's cook was often woken in the night because his royal master wanted a midnight snack. The cook was a valued member of the household and would have been highly sought after if they were a very skilled cook. They would have travelled with the joint. Cooks were apart of the greater royal household but often royals retained private cooks for their own use.

Maidservant: The maidservant cleans the castle. She would sweep the floors, scrub them, empty the chamberpots, get rid of the ashes from the fire and ready the fire for later. She would make up the bed or strip it for the laundresses. She would wash anything that needed washing including furniture and ornaments. She was likely not a travelling servant and would be strictly employed at a single palace.

Jester: The jester was the hired entertainer. Working under the master of revels, the jester had the daunting task of making the monarch and their family laugh. They would tell jokes, tell stories, cause havoc in the court for laughs and lighten the mood. The most successful jester of all time was Will Somers, jester to Henry VIII. Will broke bad news to the infamously bad tempered monarch and got away with things that would have sent others to the block. Will survived most of Henry's reign, his head intact. Jesters would be apart of the main household though each royal might have one of their own.

Positions within the Royal Household ~ Noble

Nobility were always welcomed at court. They eat at court, slept at court and were cared for by the monarch. Some nobles had to sing for their supper and most were hired as royal servants. They weren't exactly scrubbing floors and would be paid handsomely with land that would generate wealth for them

The Steward/Seneschal: This person was the head of the royal's staff. They would have the task of running the lands and servants their master or mistress. The steward served as a backup and assistant in all the tasks even representing their master or mistress when they were unavailable. Would be a high ranking noble. Each royal household would have them.

Treasurer of the Household: The treasurer was the accountant and pay master. They would be in charge of ensuring debts were settled, wages were paid and the household was running within the budget. This was a coveted position because it gave the treasurer insight into the financial situations of the royals. Such info was wroth its weight in gold. Each royal would have one.

Usher: The Gentleman Usher would be in charge of escorting guests into the royal chambers and into the royal presence. They would act as a go between their royal master/mistress and the guest often going back and forth with messages. It was just as coveted as the position of chamberlain but with less responsibilities.

Master of Horse: The Master of Horse was in charge of seeing to the horses of their master. They would oversee the grooms or the stableboy/hands who were employed at the stables to actually care for the horses. The master of horse would ensure that the stables were in order and the horses were up to parr in order to bear royalty across the kingdom. Each royal would have one but there would a main one who acted as overseer.

Master of the Wardrobe/Mistress of the Robes: These are the nobility who are employed to look after the clothes of the royal they serve. This would mainly involve a managerial position, overseeing the inventory of the royal wardrobe (a warehouse like building that housed the clothing) and placing orders for new clothes. It was a tidy job that rarely involved getting the hands dirty. Each royal would have one.

Chamberlain/Valet: The chamberlain is employed to look after the Lord's bedchamber. This was the most sought out position as they effectively were the gateway into the royal presence. Their main task was making sure their boss was comfortable and happy. Could be a well born commoner or a noble. Each royal would have one.

The Page: All royal households had pages. They would be a young noble boy about seven years old sent to their royal master. He would be in charge of tidying up after the lord, carrying messages to other servants and occupants of the castle and serving him at meals. Unlike others on the list, the page would not be paid. His experience was his payment as he would learn the running of a court and how to be courtier. Each royal would have one.

Squires: Squires were like pages though they only served the men. They would accompany their royal master to battle, look after his armour and mail, ensure that his lord's horse was saddled, caring for their master's weapons. The squire would always be a young nobleman on the cusp of becoming a knight.

Governess: The governess is a noblewoman woman employed to oversee the Monarch's children's household. She would be the first teacher a royal child would have and would oversee the nursemaids who would have care of the physical person of the child. She would be appointed when the child was four or five. Notable governesses include Katherine Swynford (wife of John of Gaunt and mother to the Beaufort line), Margaret Pole (wife of Tudor Loyal Sir Richard Pole, sister of the last York heir Edward of Warwick, daughter of George Duke of Clarence and niece to King Edward VI and Richard III), Kat Ashley, Margaret Bryan, Madame de Maintenon and Baroness Lehzen. Most unmarried Princesses retained their governesses while Princes generally outgrew their governesses after they were breeched.

Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber: They were the male companions of a King or Prince, sort of like ladies in waiting but manly. They would accompany the King or Prince everywhere they would go and shared duties with Groom of the Stool (royal toilet paper dispenser) and the Chief Gentleman of the Chamber (overseeing the staff and maintaining the chamber). They would help their master get ready, serve him at the table and organize hunting and games to keep him entertained. Gentlemen and companions where often chosen for their connections as well as their master's own opinion. Henry VIII's gentlemen included: Sir William Compton (ward of Henry VII and heir to rich lands), Sir Henry Norris (the grandson of William Norris who fought with Henry's father at Stroke and a relation to the Yorkists Lovells), Sir Anthony Denny (son of Sir Edmund Denny Baron of the Exchequer) Sir Michael Stanhope (brother in law to Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset), Charles Brandon (ward of Henry VII and son of Tudor Loyalists)

Ladies in Waiting and Maids in Waiting or Maids of Honour: These are the female attendants to the Queen or Princess. Ladies in Waiting were married while the Maids were unmarried. They would have to attend their mistress wherever she went, help her get ready, keep her chambers in order, write letters for the Queen and maintaining her honour. They were chosen for their connections. Using Katherine of Aragon as an example, her Ladies in Waiting included: Maria de Salinas (daughter of Juan Sancriz de Salinas secretary to Isabella, Princess of Portugal and a Spanish courtier in the service to Katherine's parents, wife of Baron Willoughby de Ersby), Elizabeth Howard (the daughter of Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, sister to Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk and wife to Thomas Boleyn, ambassador to France), Anne Hastings (daughter of William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings, wife to George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury and Lord Steward.), Agnes Tilney (wife to Thomas Howard, Earl of and 2nd Duke of Norfolk.), Elizabeth Scrope (wife of John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, a loyal Tudor lord), Margaret Scrope (wife of Sir Edmund de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk cousin to the King), Anne Stafford (sister of the Duke of Buckingham, married Sir George Hastings, Earl of Huntington and daughter of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham (cousin to the King) and Lady Katherine Woodville (sister of King Henry VIII's grandmother and his great aunt by her marriage), Elizabeth Stafford (sister to Anne Stafford wife Robert Radcliffe, Lord Fitzwalter and Earl of Sussex around). Their connections are what got them their places and you can see why they were chosen.

Accommodation

Accommodation can be a difficult thing to sort both as a writer and a steward. You might have a palace of 200+ bedchambers in which you must house a staff of 500-/+, a varying amount of nobles, the royal family (of a varying amount) and their own households. When assigning rooms it is best to think of a Russian nesting doll. Start from the inside and work your way to the outside.

The best rooms go to the monarch, their consort and their children/siblings/parent(s). These chambers would include the bedroom, a drawing room/ common area, a privy, a closet (a small chamber that can be used for prayer or work). They would be furnished with the best cloth, the best candles and whatever furniture brought by the resident since most royal courts travelled from palace to palace. They will also have chambers for their personal servants such as ladies in waiting and grooms.

The second best set of rooms would go to the highest ranking nobles/people in the court. These rooms would be less fancy and a little smaller. These would be given to from titled nobility descending from those of Ducal rank (Dukes/Duchesses) or even members of the council such as Thomas Cromwell in Tudor times.

The next set would be considerably smaller, perhaps minus a closet or a drawing room. Given to lower nobility.

The next level of chambers would be smaller perhaps only the bedroom and a common area given to minor nobles.

The last set of rooms would be small and only hold enough room for a bedroom. Servants would have to sleep on the ground on pallets beside their masters.

Any other guests at court would have to stay at off-site locations around the palace in the city. Some nobles at houses around major palaces just in case they arrived late or were kicked out of court.

#Fantasy Guide #royal courts #royal households #helpful charts & things #noble households

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I just watched Sleeping Beauty (1959) for the first time in quite a while

And there's my usual thoughts of "I love this", "Disney now can't do anything remotely close to these masterpieces", "The art style is gorgeous", "oh I wish movies like these were back"

Then I realized something

There's this argument, mostly regarding the older Disney princesses like Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora that they fall in love with a man they met once

And I've never cared for that argument because I thought it's a fairy tale so anything can happen, including love at first sight. So as long as the story at the end, is nice, I don't mind it.

But upon watching Sleeping Beauty this time, I realized that this is a soul-mate universe

Like, there's a bunch of soul-mate universe settings out there: a red string of fate, count down timer, the first sentence ever said to each other etc.

This one is dream sharing: I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream

Aurora herself even said she dreamed of talking and walking with Phillip multiple times

I don't know it's just this awareness/headcanon is kinda cool to me

#disney #sleeping beauty #princess aurora #prince phillip #aurora x phillip

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I am so close to being done with Chapter 5, I swear.

#news #title: replaced lifemates au #title: dark yule

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Names of the various fish & game departments listed by state, with links to each specific page. Important because not every state calls their natural resource division by the same title, even though they all have roughly the same job.

#writing #helpful charts & things #research

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postapocalyptic gnostic cult leader whose esoteric received text is a partial collection of OSHA guidelines for safety best practice in manufacturing and industry

#prompts #writing prompt #I could see this as a flash fic

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Public Service Announcement for Writers: Always use some kind of universal storage or back up system for all parts of your WIPs. My computer suffered a critical failure last week and the only solution that worked was to completely wipe it. I use Google Drive, so I only lost a few personal files and school activity ideas that I had had saved, but it could have been so much worse if I hadn’t been using Google Drive, because there was no way to share/back up/transfer my files due to the nature of the failure.

#writing #computer problems #news

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"The Force is in everyone, so anyone can learn how to use it!"

The Force is in everyTHING, plants and animals included, but I don't see Ahsoka picking up a bantha apprentice any time soon.

The whole POINT of "the Force is in everything" is to say that there is VALUE in everything in the galaxy, to see the connections between every person, plant, and creature. Not to say that literally everyone can USE the Force. The Jedi learn to love as equally as they can because they CAN see those connections in a way nobody else can, they can FEEL those connections so viscerally. There's so much about the Jedi that's so dependent on them being Force sensitive, on that being something that ONLY they can do, and the way they're completely undoing all of that in this show is starting to feel very intentional and I hate it.

#star wars #anti dave filoni

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Just heard the mcu described as “47 iron man movies in a trench coat” and if that ain’t the truth

#mcu critical #anti tony stark

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Ideas for Town and/or Street Names:

Religious Figures

Holidays

The place the group who gave it its accepted name came from

Stick “New” on the front of it

Local geography

Locations - real, mythological/religious

Historical Figures

Local Important People - ex: my ancestors sold their farm to the local municipality so the town could expand, and main street is now named after them

Events

Stick “City” on the end of it

Stick “~ton” on the end of it

Religious Themes

Repeat names you like

#helpful charts & things #town names #city names #world building

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The only good thing that I can see about Time Force openly stating it takes place in 2001, is that the seasons preceding it don’t name a year. So you can still assume a couple years between Space and Galaxy, and a couple years between Galaxy and Lightspeed, and a couple very very necessary years between Lightspeed and Time Force, and not screw up anything timeline wise.

#power rangers #power rangers time force #power rangers rewatch

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Did I unfollow a mutual who was spam posting Irondad-Spiderson content out of nowhere? Fucking absolutely. As a reminder; fuck billionaire, war-profiteer, accountability dodger, child endangerer, self-aggrandising, self-centred asshole Tony Stark. The only care he feels for Peter is out of -AT MOST- a guilty kind of moral obligation.

Tony has an actual child, and Peter already has a parental figure;

Aunt May loves Peter in the way you all project onto Tony Stark in Irondad scenarios, and unlike Irondad, that's canon. Argue with a mirror, I'm right.

Stan Aunt May, cowards.

#anti tony stark #anti tony stans #anti irondad #anti spiderson

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I think short jokes are a requirement at this point. Look at Charlotte. She's a freaking Chihuahua in comparison to her brothers, cousins, and boyfriend. The only people she's taller than are Wyatt's toddlers. (And me. She's taller than me.)

#fanfiction #charmed fanfiction #title: dark charm #news

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Boys’ Names that Work for Girls:

Carter “Transporter of Goods by Cart”

Preston “Priest Town”

Peregrine “Traveller”

James “Supplanter”

Gray “A Color”

#character names #helpful charts and things #boys names #girls names

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Girls’ Names That Feel Heavy:

Bryony “Climbing Plant”

Gloria “Glory”

Jade “Precious Stone”

Odette “Wealthy”

Kira “Beam of Light”

#helpful charts and things #names #girls names #character names #heavy names #weighty names

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Just me thinking about how the majority of Thorin’s Company is made up of those who are immediately in line for the throne of Erebor. Like, seriously, the only ones in the line of succession that don’t go are Dain and Gimli, and Gimli was only excluded because of age. Is it policy to bring all the heir presumptives on a suicide mission, or is this Thorin’s poor planning skills at work? Given the upset over Dain’s initial refusal, I’m leaning toward the former.

#the hobbit

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Bilbo when he finds out dwarves give gifts for courting, after Thorin gives him the mithril shirt…

Bilbo: Are you flirting with me?

Thorin: I have been for a while, thanks for noticing.

#the hobbit #thorin oakenshield #bilbo baggins #bagginshield #thilbo