End of Turn CONCLAVE! (All Holders- mandatory!)

[hrsegrl]

Fort Hold had been the place of choice for the Conclave this turn. For a couple days the Lord and Lady Holders had been arriving, staying in guest chambers throughout the Hold. The Lord and Lady of Fort were gracious and accepting of all who came though there wasn't any reason not to be. Before the Conclaves everyone got along swimmingly. After would be another story.

During the Conclave, Lords and Ladies were allowed to bring up issues and discuss any new claims to Hold Leadership. This conclave had no new claims and therefore would be centered around major issues occuring around Pern. This was a time for the Leaders of Pern to make decisions.

The long table that usually held dinner guests was now set up for what was going to be a long and ardorous task. Though the glow of early morning, set the time as before seven, the Lords were already preparing for the day ahead of them. The Conclave was about to commence and they all had something to say.

[brimstone81]

Lord Nidosh was in one of his moods again. Lady Ralysa was no better, but then again, she was partly the reason for Nidosh's sour attitude. Nidosh was notorious for his women, and so his relationship with Ralysa was business as usual, though she was giving out less and less since her position as his Lady had been sealed with the birth of their eldest son 18 years ago. While Ralysa was given a room with her husband, she would give him nothing but a small kiss goodnight, and Nidosh was out of his hold. Thus snubbing her husband so pleased Ralysa.

Ralysa had dark brown hair and her skin was milky, her silvery eyes clever, though her mouth a smug line. She was a prim, proper Lady, borne of Lords and certainly trying to make it seem aparant. She had her hair piled up on her head and a fine dress on. Nidosh's once chocolate brown hair had silver spots starting at his temples, though he was dressed impeccably, just as his wife. His dark eyes were sort of cold, he was still not very happy, and less happy he was uprooted from the familiarity of his hold. His wife's hand was barely touching his arm, not that her husband minded or noticed. They had the typical arranged marriage, for public sake they got along together, though there wasn't much love between them.

-----
Haydrin had come in accompanied by his wife. It was fortunate that they had a much different relationship than that of Crom, or the other holds, for that matter. He had married for his love, his passions, not because his wife had the best pedigree. Not that she was a commoner, either, a daughter of a minor holder was pretty good. He put and arm about her back, and firmly gripped her arm, keeping Jazira close to him. He would like to get this Conclave underway. His wife's condition slightly worried him, but he would never bar her from attending. Jazira was a smart woman, she knew what she was doing.

[kayla]

(Quick question while I try to think about this... this first meeting you set up, is that just the Lords? (And by that, I mean both: just the Ranking Holders and just the male-types.))

[hrsegrl]

((Its only the Lord and Lady Holders and by that I mean the ones I've mentioned previously in the OOC Conclave thread. Thanks))

The Bitran Lady stood in the Great Hall next to her husband. She was quiet today and for good reason. At almost nine month's pregnant she could have her baby any time now. The Healers had tried to talk her out of going but she reasoned that she would be at Fort Hold and that was where the Master Healer of Pern resided. She would be in capable hands. Still many were well aware of the risks involved while travelling and did not agree with her attending the Conclave.

Jazira would rather attend to symbolize the strength of Bitra and how nothing would stop them in achieving a goal. Even one so simple as to attend a Conclave. She wondered briefly if Lady Leshya was showing or if Jazira would notice. She hoped so... because then she could be more open about the baby talk.

There were other things she hoped would be brought up at this meeting. The issue of those leeching dragonriders and of disease prevention. Along with some sort of alert system when weather seemed to be getting a bit hectic. She wanted to protect her people, like any Lord or Lady would. They worked hard and gave their Leaders much so that they could be so protected. Somehow she knew this would be a long Conclave.

------

Lord Tressex of Lemos began talking with his wife, Isabeau, quietly. They were both dressed well in somewhat of a matching style. His dark brown hair was thinning slightly and he had a small mark above his left eye, a scar from a childhood accident. His lady wore her mousey brown hair back and up while her dress was well made and suited her skin tone and thin almost frail looking form. The two had only three children and it was rumored that the Lady Isabeau could no longer concieve.

Tressex turned his attention to Jazira who was standing nearest to he and his wife. "Lady Jazira, it is a pleasure to see you here. I see you've brought along an extra for this meeting." HE smiled. Bitra and Lemos were close. Though Haydrin and Jazira were a few turns older than this couple they had similair plans for their Holds and for the dragonriders. All in all they were fairly interesting to interact with. Jazira didn't see this statement as flattery so much as a way to say he couldn't believe she was still having children. Didn't they have enough?

The Lord Holder of Lemos then moved away from The Bitran Lord and Lady. He and his wife began to converse in private tones again. As this was Fort Hold they were waiting for the Fort Lord and Lady to call them to be seated. This was bound to be interesting, he thought with a smug smile across his face.

[kayla]

Leshya came in with her husband Enald. While the last thing that the young Lady Holder wanted was for everyone to be oohing and aahing over her pregnancy - and to be honest the only reason she worried about that was the Lord and Lady of Benden - or Daddy and Momma, she was quite glowingly pregnant, even if she was only barely showing. Her dress was a burnt orange, fitting nicely but not snugly, as she was experiencing some mild side effects of pregnancy - morning sickness, thankfully, a thing of the past.

Leshya knew that the sickness was going to be brought up, but she knew that she and Enald were not keen on sharing just how deeply it had hurt Telgar Hold. The fact of the matter was that they would recover, but it had set them back slightly. A weakness that they did not want to share with with everyone if it could be avoided. She half hoped the thread issue came up, as it was a debate that raged to some degree between her husband and herself.

***

Merrek mingled with the Lords and Ladies, though more than once his gaze strayed to his beautiful wife. While he had not been perfect, he had spent more time with her and made more effort to be a good husband. And, as far as he knew, his effort had paid off. While he knew it was not perfect, their relationship had significantly approved. While others may always see her as a trophy wife for the aging Lord, he never did.

He did not yet invite everyone to sit down, as he wanted to make sure that everyone arrived before they started - though if anyone was late, they'd find themselves missing out, but that would be their fault not his. He moved over to the Bitran Lady, "Lady Jazira, you are lookig well. Congratulations, on your expected arrival." His smile was warm and sincere. "Please, do not feel that you must stand on courtesy and wait for everyone to sit. If you need to sit, no one will be offended or see it as a weakness."

[hrsegrl]

Lady Jazira squeezed her husband's hand gently when Lord Merrek told her she might be seated if she wished. " We are thinking eight is a good healthy number of children. The more the merrier right?" She smiled. Jazira was the happiest person in the world when she was pregnant. Rarely moody, she was actaully more pleasant when she was with child. It was a strange thing but her personal drudges loved her pregnant.

"Thank you for your considerate gesture. I may need to sit in a moment." Her eyes left the Lord Holder of Fort for a moment to glance at his younger wife. She was a pretty thing. Too bad she would not have a chance to talk with the young lady. Leslow might come to next Turn's Conclave just to listen in on proceedings, he would be eighteen then. Oh how her children grew...so quickly. This one in her womb was certainly not the restful type. She thought Hava was a kicker.

The Lady did leave Haydrin to sit in her assigned place at the table. She felt bad for not being able to stand longer but she was understandably 9 months along. She could have not come but that would have been an insult. Besides she wanted to support Haydrin here. It was going to be a difficult Conclave this year. Already one could cut the tension in the air with a knife.

[darkaire]

The Lord Holder of Benden had slept well, even knowing what would be coming in the morning. Or perhaps it was knowing it that made him want to sleep well. Either way, Narya was okay with it, though she'd gotten up earlier than usual, as she hadn't felt entirely comfortable in Fort. She wasn't able to explain why, but thought about it as she ran a brush through her still-blonde hair. It was something she was proud of. She was approaching 50, but not looking much older than he younger daughter, save for the wrinkles. But she said they added to her 'aging gracefully' mantra. Leshan liked the wrinkles, and told her so every day. This morning would be no different as he leaned over her from behind to press a light kiss to her cheek and mumble a sleepy good morning. It was returned quietly, Narya not missing a stroke of the brush.

A few hours later she slid her hand into his offered arm, fingers pressing lightly into the crook of his elbow as the Lord Holder led her into the conference hall. They made a regal pair, Leshan with his silvered hair and dark suit, and Narya in a complimentary deep red dress. It was conservative and fell around her feet, hemmed just above the floor so there would be no way to step on it. She took calculatedly small steps, and Leshan altered his stride automatically to match hers. As he tilted his head to smile down at his wife, he noticed she was wearing the necklace he'd bought her especially for this occassion - a large ruby entwined on a thin gold chain. The chain didn't even look strong enough to hold the gem. Narya smiled prettily back, and Leshan resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her. Even after all these years he was still childishly in love with his wife. And Narya knew that, and played off of it often, though she loved him just as much.

As soon as they entered the conference hall, Leshan sought out the Lord Holder of Fort and smiled warmly at him. "Merrick, Fort looks lovlier than I remember. Of course, that's probably just my memory going bad. Fort's always been a beautiful place," he struck up the small talk, and Narya stayed on his arm for a moment longer, casting her gaze around. Her face and posture were relaxed, seemingly thinking of very little. If she was thinking, it was probably about how sparkly her ruby was, or how pretty the other Ladies looked. In all actuality, the Lady of Benden was sizing everyone up, knowing her husband was a little too trusting sometimes. She knew that they were one of the few who maintained their traditions because they believed them, and wasn't going to be surprised when an argument broke out. She was expecting one.

With a murmured word and light squeeze to Lord Benden's arm, Narya slipped away from him and wandered over to her daughter, the Lady of Telgar. "Leshya, darling, you look wonderful," she smiled, though careful to keep it proper. A thin-fingered hand fluttered out to hover questionly over the other's stomach. She was unable to hide the obvious joy and rapture in her face at seeing her daughter so radiant. Narya kept her voice down, knowing now was not the time to make a deal over the pregnancy. But still, as a mother she couldn't help but feel giddy over the idea of a grandchild, and so very proud of her baby girl. It had been a long time since she'd felt so giddy, and even longer since she admitted to it. "You'll forgive your father for not coming over straightaway. He'd busy with Lord Merrick at the moment."

---

The Lord and Lady of Nerat were next to enter, Vielle sweeping in on her husband's arm, looking as grand as ever. Her look was much different than the Lady Benden's, as there they shared the same sophisticated air. Where Narya was passive, Vielle was more outspoken. She wasn't horribly outspoken, really, she just seemed to have an inner strength around her that came with the wisdom of old age. If she had an opinion, she could voice it with little regret; there was only shame in not saying something you felt the need to. Lady Nerat wasn't exactly a cranky old woman, but she wasn't the sweet grandmother who bought trinkets for her grandchildren. In her youth she had been a stronger woman, leading with little thought to what others thought of her. But now Vielle was older and tired of forcing changes to happen. It was easier to let Lord Nerat pull out her chair and sit down. Her knees had started hurting a few Turns ago, making it a pain to walk long distances. Scipio liked to joke that her joints were just complaining fom all the running around she'd done in their first years of marriage.

On that note, Vielle had been a handful when she was young. Wild and untamed, hardly faithful. But Scipio had let her have her fun, knowing when old age came around, she would, too. The Lord of Nerat was painfully patient, had been and still was, but that didn't mean he sat idly by while his young wife had been rolling around in the hay. He'd been a little more discrete and secretive about his few affairs. But in the end Scipio and Vielle had come together to form quite the team. At least, they had until both had aged. Like his wife, Scipio was old and tired, and liked conflict less than the idea of death. It was bad for his heart, and Vielle would fuss over him if she noticed he was short of breath.

Scipio left his hand on his wife's shoulder for a moment, letting his breathing even out before moving to mingle with the other Lords until it was time to start. His wife was more than content to sit and rest her knees from the strain of standing, though he did feel her eyes on his back every so often. He was horrible at remembering his failing health, so Vielle took it upon herself to remember for him. She ran a shaky hand through her short, thinning white hair and sank back into her chair. She hoped there would be wine. Maybe Benden had brought some, though she doubted it. Scipio thought he could do with a glass of wine himself, though knew better than to be drinking it at his age. It always made him wheeze, and Vielle hated that, too. Made her worry.

---

Ariashi may only have been the Headwoman, but it was her job to make sure things ran smoothly before the Conclave meeting. She pressed her hands to her dress and smoothed out the wrinkles, hands moving to her hair next. It was pulled back tightly, but she had a pretty enough face that it didn't make her look odd. Seeing many of the Holders enter let her know it was time for her to make one last check around the room and excuse herself to wait to the side near the door should Merrick need anything besides what she'd brought. Though that was doubtful - Ariashi was prepared to an extreme level. Sharp eyes scanned the room and found no fault. That done, she moved into the Lord Fort's vision and smiled slightly - just enough that he knew everything on her end was fine.

Taking her place near the door, she waited quietly and patiently for the meeting to start.

[kayla]

Leshya did not laugh seeing her mother and how she was on her father's arm. While Enald had drastically changed her world view when it came to what men wanted from women, Lesh knew that her mother was probably right when it came to her father. She also knew that she could never pull off the passivity as perfectly as she did. Despite the fact that she would not trade what she had with Enald for anything, she did admire her parents relationship.

When her mother came over to her, she was relieved that she kept the fussingness over her subtle, which allowed Leshya to enjoy it. She hoped she and Enald would get a quiet visit with her parents at some point during the Conclave, but she was able to enjoy this small time with her mother. She leaned in and kissed her cheek, speaking softly so that she could call her mother informally, "Thank you, Momma. You and Daddy look well. I hope we'll get to visit more later." She knew once it formally began, she would have to refer to her parents formally as Lord Leshan and Lady Narya.

She smiled to her mother at the excusing of her father, "Of course, mother." The shift was because while it was still a quiet private coversation, she was no longer quite whispering. "It would be rude for him not to give Benden's regards to our host."

Sounding like it was basically chitchat, Leshya continued the quiet conversation with her mother. If anyone overheard her, they would think it was merel sisterly concern, "Have you heard from Shaylan lately?" Really, she was trying to discern if there'd been a recent clutch, and if so, how big.

***

Merrek was talking to Lord Leshen, but he was quite frankly, glad to see that Lady Vielle did not need to be invited to sit. Not that he hand minded inviting Lady Jazira to sit, but there were fewer people there and he was glad that Lady Vielle had taken the initiative since he was occupied at the moment.

"Leshan, there is absolutely nothing wrong with your memory. However, I appreciate the compliment to Fort. You and your Lady appear to be doing well. And I see you are soon to be a proud grandfather. Congratulations on that."

He had seen Ariashi moving around making sure all the final touches were put in place. When she took a place in the background and smiled at him, he nodded slightly. He would give the other Lords and Ladies a couple more minutes, but then the conclave would start - with or without them.

[effluo]

Lord Jerle walked in, or limped rather as he leaned a good deal against the cane in his left hand. He was by far not the first one there, but it didn’t cross his mind that the time he arrived was anything but perfectly on time. After all, he never appeared late, and he most certainly never appeared early but always precisely when he meant to appear and so in his mind he was always perfectly on time.

The Lord holder of Ista was known to be a fair Lord who expected the work to be done and done efficiently. Just as he expects this of all who reside within the island hold, he also expects it of himself and his fellow Lords. If anything, the death of his wife along with his growing age has only left him with more of a sense of duty. The rest seemed very young in his weathered eyes and with the exception of Nerat’s and Southern Bolls Lords and Ladies, he questions the way they handle things, though he does most of this silently. Even so, he is not afraid to speak his mind when he finds it necessary.

Looking around the room, the sight of the pregnant Ladies made his eyes narrow, but he did not let his gaze linger on them. The sight reminded him of another Lady who would not be attending the conclave just as she had not attended one for quite a few years now. Without ceremony or acknowledgement to the others, he made his way to his own seat, next to the one politely available for his wife should he ever chose to take another after his Lady’s untimely death.

As he sat, the wooden click of his cane finally came to a halt as he leaned it against the table next to him, waiting for the youngsters to get their chatter over with so they may begin. He would stand when the rest of the Ladies made their way to sit, just as duty called, but for now he would give his old legs their needed break.

[thedreamerlady]

Sulia was not often silent, and could usually be counted on to lighten any mood, and converse with any person. Except the Headwoman, and she'd even been making strides with her.

But whenever she was shoved into a room filled with Pern's highest ranking Lords and Ladies, Sulia's silver tongue turned to dust. She knew what most of them thought of her- merely a pleasant distraction for an older Lord, a plaything. It wasn't a pleasant thought for her that they might be right. There was love in their relationship, to be sure, but Merrek hadn't married her for her Lady skills. Maybe for her way of looking like a Lady(and she did, with her deep Fortian brown dress, with black lacing, and her hair careful teased into a deceptively simple knot), but not for being a perfect, Hold-running lady.

However, Sulia was fairly sure there was nothing to fault her for about Fort. And yes, she had been working on making sure everything was perfect for weeks after being informed that Fort was hosting the Conclave. And practicing on being the perfect Hostess. She was not going to mess up. Moving back towards her husband after finishing her almost brusk conversation with Nabol Lady Holder, Melee, Sulia smiled for the benefit of everyone around them, and slipped her arm onto his, feeling much safer.

~~~~~~~

Enald had allowed his pregnant wife time along with her mother- he assumed she would need it for some reason, and then headed over to greet the Lord and Lady of Igen. They had fostered him for a time, after all, and he wanted to know just what one of their sons was doing- because that son was truly welcome in Telgar.

After checking on their health, and the health of sons, daughters, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and unrelated friends, Enald carefully bade them farewell, feeling good. It was only his second Conclave, the first one being when he was confirmed as Lord Holder, and yet no one seemed to be talking down to him, or offering him very condescending advice.

Walking up to stand next to his wife, and his mother-in-law, Enald offered a deep bow.

"Lovely to see you again, Lady Narya." He carefully adjusted his Telgar white and red shirt, and hoped that his blue pants were already wrinkle free. He really did want to look his best.

[hrsegrl]

((
This is listed under rivalries and it may give everyone an idea of what the Holders think of eachother...


HOLD RIVALRIES

Telgar and Crom
- Bicker constantly like all old neighbors
-Have some larger personal issues (The people who play the Holders may expand on that)

Ista and Telgar
- Something happened between the Lords but it is very clear that they despise one another.

Igen and Ista
-Ista accused Igen of stealing some fish shipments. Now this small argument has been blown way out of proportion.

Fort and Crom
-The two of them seem to have some sort of my runner is bigger than your runner contest. That doesn't mean they don't like eachother but they are constantly competing with eachother... like brothers.

Keroon and Nabol
- Nabol mined some precious gems for Keroon and somehow wasn't paid properly.. or some such nonsense. They still feel very tense around eachother.

Bitra and everyone else
~The Lord Holder of Bitra is a particularly ambitious man. He has made it a habit to offend almost every Lord Holder he has met whether on purpose or on accident. Bitra is only good to the dragonriders to their face and would much prefer not to give them tithes at all. Sometimes he doesn't even manage to send a quarter of what he should. People are too scared of what he might do to act against him. ))

[darkaire]

The Lady of Benden had already taken pains to ensure she would get some alone time with her daughter after the Conclave. Perhaps not directly afterwards, but sometime. It was no problem to get a dragonrider to give them a lift over to Telgar; Leshan's eldest rode a Gold, and Benden was too loyal to their Weyr to not get a ride now and then. Narya smiled warmly at her daughter, letting her hand fall on Leshya's stomach briefly. She would have been edgy if she hadn't been able to, and it was a light touch, lasting half a second before it was drawn back. Infinitely calmer now (as if she hadn't seemed the very picture of calm before), the Benden Lady refrained from chuckling and merely smiled.

"If not, we'll take some time off to come visit," her voice was as gentle as it ever was, using that first comment to segway into the news Leshya wanted. "Shaylan is doing well, last we heard from her things sounded like they were going smoothly. There's a man she's interested in," this was spoken with a gossipy feel, but was mostly just motherly glee, "and I hear there might be an opportunity for her to see him more." Narya was speaking of a Goldflight, though knew she couldn't speak freely of it while surrounded by those who were not so fond of the Weyrs.

When the Lord of Telgar joined them, Lady Nary returned his bow with a slight curtsy. While she knew she should have been a bit more formal, she also knew he would understand. Narya was far from old, but even so her knees creaked unhappily any time she went to curtsy deeply. No one knew, not even Leshan, but Enald was her son-in-law and a little more open-minded about how women should act. "Lord Enald, it is always a pleasure to see you," she smiled at him, the look clearly approving of how he complimented her daughter well. Yes, she had done well the day she planted Enald's name in her husband's ear.

Her husband, meanwhile, was ever unaware of his wife's thoughts. It wasn't that he didn't care, he just didn't know. He beamed at Merrick at the mention of the newest addition to his family. If anything, Leshan would be a marvelous grandfather with the keen exception of pampering. "Thank you for the congratulations. It's only been a few months, but it seems like I should already have a grandchild," he grinned wistfully, and then caught himself with something of a sheepish look. "But we're not here to discuss family matters," he said by way of apology for heading off into an unrelated matter. Leshan tended to do that often, as he had aged into the jovial sort of man that was always talking about something.

[kayla]

(sorry, this is going to be short and not address those I owe, but my brain is kind of.. bleah.. and I want to get this moving)

Merrek smiled warmly to Leshan, letting the older man know that his affection for his soon to be grandchild was prefectly fine and then excused himself to move over to the table and stand by his own seat. "Lords and Ladies, if I can get you to please take your seats." He took his own seat to indicate that it was now proper for all who did not have other reasons to have sat previously, to do so. The hosting Lord having sat.

"Thank you for all coming. I'm sure you are all aware that there is much to be discussed about this past year and for this approaching year. Let us start with brief reports from the Holds. Since we are hosting, I will begin with Fort. The year has been good for Fort. We were barely touched by the illness that ravaged so many of our fellow Holds. Profits have been acceptable and we have made our tithes to Fort Weyr. The Craft Holds hosted at Fort have reported having done well this year." Of course, Healers and Harpers are fairly steady crafts, but that's just the advantage to being Fort.

Merrek then called on the next Hold to give their reports.

(Um... I don't know the order of Holds. I don't know if it mattes... so um... there )

[hrsegrl]

(( Crafthall locations, in case you needed to know who was where.

Harper Hall, at Fort
Healer Hall, at Fort
Smithcrafthall, at Telgar
Minecrafthall, at Crom
Beastcrafthall, at Keroon
Farmer Hall, at Keroon
Vintner Hall, at Benden
Glass-smith Hall, at Ista
Fishercrafthall, at Tillek
Weavercrafthall, at Southern Boll))

Lemos reported next, though his smile belied little of the hardships his people had been through. "This turn has been a strange one for Lemos. We were not ravaged by the illness as many of you were but we receieved little rainfall. Our crops have suffered for it. Hopefully the upcoming Turn will provide more rain." The Lord sat back down and patted his wife's hand.

There wasn't really much going on in Lemos. They didn't know who had been hit hardest by the illness but they were pretty sure it wasn't as importatn as what they wanted to discuss. The illness was passed. What they should be focusing on was the dragonriders. That of course was Tressex opinion. Maybe the others wished to avoid that topic entirely. It would be discussed after everyone had their say.

[effluo]

(((Glass-smith? Ooo Interesting.)))


Lord Jerle stood next, continuing the rotation around the table, to report for Ista Hold. The small island hold had delayed its own encounter with the illness quite well, but like all things, avoiding it forever was not possible as the island continuously needs its shipments of the mainland’s foods and stock animals, unable to produce enough of its own and, after all, Jerle couldn’t tell his people to live completely on their main staple – fish. You really could only eat so much fish…

As it turned out, they had not been hit till many holds were able to stem the spreading of their own, and as luck would have it, the island hold was hit hard when it finally came. Probably not as hard as some, but even so it took a serious toll on Lord Jerle himself just as it did a good number of its populace.

“The sickness struck Ista Hold,” he said, his old voice gruff from its many turns. “Late last spring. We can report to keeping a good number of our workforce healthy, as well as a surprising number of our old.” This had not included himself, but as he had managed to survive it and recover, he did not find it important enough to add. “Our young, however, suffered greatly. I would like to, when the time is appropriate, discuss foster children for the hold to help relieve our losses.”

The lord could report that the fishing upon Ista remained good, but he did not see the importance in that, and a short glare at the Igen Lord reminded all that he was still unhappy at their stolen shipment of fish. Instead, he continued with his report of the single craft hall upon the island.

“The Glass-smiths reported a good revenue, but just as Ista Hold, lost quite a few of their apprentices and have asked me to announce that their usual procedure for finding appropriate apprentices has been lifted for a time in hopes of keeping the Hall lively. They would appreciate sending anyone who shows an interest in the craft.”

“That is all.” Arms shaking slightly as he supported himself back down into the seat, Lord Jerle only half listened to the voice of the next Lord, his mind reliving the past as it had made a habit of doing so lately.