#menno coehoorn

[paintreedrawings]

Что, если Роше как темерский шпион типо Штирлиц в Нильфгаарде?

Эти вопросы мне нравятся, но я отвечу одним постом сразу на оба. Да, я с удовольствием посмотрел бы на такую напряжённую драму, где Роше надо годами притворяться, чтобы не выдать себя. Но как по мне, в этом сюжете есть один ма-аленький нюанс:

[astaldis]

Chained / Blindfolded

Warning: Graphic depictions of violence under the cut!

@whumpers-monthly @witcherwhumpweek

Illustration for Prison Blues Chapter 5 - Lost in the Dark

Rating: Explicit

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence; Rape/Non-Con

Relationships: Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach/Emhyr var Emreis; Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach & Jaskier | Dandelion; Assire var Anahid & Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach; Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach & Merlin The Cat

Characters: Jaskier | Dandelion, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Maria Barring | Milva, Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy, The Hansa | Geralt's Company Members (The Witcher), Emhyr var Emreis, Assire var Anahid, Merlin (the cat), Menno Coehoorn, Vilgefortz of Roggeveen

Additional Tags: Friendship, Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Implied/Referenced Torture, Torture, Aftermath of Torture, netflix season 2 compliant, cahir is not having a good time, Spoilers for The Witcher (TV) Season 2, Spoilers for Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski, Angst, Vomiting, Sexual Abuse, Implied Sexual Abuse, Maggots, Emhyr is an evil bastard, Hurt/Comfort, Whump, a few days after the battle on the bridge, and directly after season 2 ends, Panic Attacks, Cats are the best and bards, Jaskier is a good friend, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach Whump, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach Has a Bad Time, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat

Published: 2022-06-04; Completed: 2022-08-03; Words: 32,672

Excerpt from Chapter 5 - Lost in the Dark

The door of the torture chamber closes after the Emperor with a thud. Then Cahir is alone with the guards, who are still holding him in a vice-like grip, and the torture master. 

"There," Dalgart points at the wall to the right of the brazier. It is just a bare stone wall, but hanging from chains from the ceiling next to the wall are iron manacles. The guards drag Cahir to the wall and fasten the manacles around his wrists. Then they adjust the length of the chains in such a way, that he is almost hanging in the air by his arms, only his toes just so touching the floor, his bare back toward the wall. Dalgart hands one of them a black piece of fabric that he uses to blindfold the prisoner. Cahir does not know if he should be grateful for the blindfold or horrified by the prospect of not being able to see what the torture master is going to do to him. At the moment he can hear him puttering around with his tools as if not yet sure which one he is going to use. A knife, but which one? Or a hook? Not a saw as he is not allowed to cut off anything, nor the head crusher, the risk of permanent brain damage or even death is far too high. Ah, this is a nice one. He has not used it in quite a while. A shame, as it is very effective. Not lethal, though, at least not if infection can be prevented. Which should not pose too much of a problem. Yes, this is probably perfect for the purpose. Dalgart picks up the Ungula. He steps away from the table with his instruments and walks over to the wall with the chained prisoner.

Cahir shudders as the man approaches. Is his brain just playing tricks on him in his terrified state or does the torturer actually smell like sulfur? Now he is standing so close, Cahir can feel his breath on his naked torso, making his skin crawl. Slowly and carefully and without saying a word, the torture master starts to move a pointed metal device down Cahir's right arm, from his wrist across his forearm, then from his elbow down to his shoulder and further along the length of his side all the way down to the waistband of his braies. It does not really hurt, just graze his skin a little, hardly drawing blood, but it sends chills up and down Cahir's spine and he almost forgets to breathe. This is really creepy. Dalgart repeats the procedure on his left side, this time with just a little more pressure. Again, Cahir shudders. The man must be some kind of pervert. Well, of course, he must be, why else would anybody want to become a torturer in the first place, and obviously enjoy the work? 

The torturer rotates the instrument in his hand in such a way that not only one, but two sharp, claw-like tips are digging into the skin and muscle of the prisoner's arms, first the right, then the left one, and now it definitely hurts. Cahir suppresses a groan of pain as he feels the blood drip down from the cuts. And this is just the beginning. 

Methodically, Dalgart moves the metal claw up and down Cahir's arms, his sides and finally his chest, sometimes almost tenderly and superficial, which creeps him out, then, all of a sudden, ripping, tearing and digging deep into his flesh like the talons of a raptor or the claws of a bear or other wild creature, making him scream with agony and shock. The blood is flowing freely now and Cahir feels increasingly lightheaded. As absorbed as he is in his endeavour, the torture master won't accidentally forget that he is not to kill him, will he? Or will he bleed out here, hanging from the dungeon ceiling in just his underpants? What a humiliating death. It isn't the end he had hoped for, no. Not at all. 

"Almost done," the torturer, as if being able to read the prisoner's thoughts, suddenly whispers into Cahir's ear. "Jus' one more thing. Emperor's special request." With these words, and a deft movement of his left hand, he pulls down Cahir's braies. Cahir gasps in shock. But there is nothing he can do, nothing at all. Never in his life has he felt so helpless, vulnerable and completely and utterly at somebody else's mercy, somebody who is clearly mental. When he feels the cold metal tip of the torture device run lightly down the length of his cock, he is paralysed with fear, unable to breathe or think or even scream. Painfully slowly the claw moves around the tip of his penis, then along his scrotum, but, fortunately, only scratching the skin a little.

"Very lucky human." Dalgart's hoarse voice unsettlingly close to his ear. "I am not to harm you down there. Not today. What a shame. But maybe tomorrow? Or the day after? Who knows?"

Cahir, for sure, does not know, as he has fainted from the pain, loss of blood and shock halfway through the torture master's unusually many words.

[regioonlineofficial]

Bergen op Zoom – Na één jaar 'Menno's Reis' keek de Alliantie Zuiderwaterlinie samen met ruim 60 betrokkenen en geïnteresseerden in het Markiezenhof terug op een jaar vol kennis en inzichten. Er valt veel te leren van het innovatieve plan waarmee vestingbouwer Menno van Coehoorn 325 jaar geleden de basis legde voor wat we nu kennen als de Zuiderwaterlinie. Dat erfgoed kan een inspiratiebron en versneller zijn bij de huidige ruimtelijke en maatschappelijke opgaven. In 2024 gaat Menno's Reis verder met nieuwe activiteiten waarin heden, verleden én toekomst samen komen. In de voetsporen van Menno van Coehoorn 325 jaar geleden ging de Friese strateeg en vestingbouwer Menno van Coehoorn op inspectiereis met als opdracht om de verdediging van de Republiek te verbeteren. Zijn plan legde de basis voor wat we nu kennen als de Zuiderwaterlinie. Tijdens het project 'Menno's Reis' treden bezoekers en partners van de Zuiderwaterlinie in zijn voetsporen. De Alliantie Zuiderwaterlinie werkt hierbij nauw samen met haar lokale partners en met de steun van Stichting Menno van Coehoorn, het Cultuurfonds, Fonds voor Cultuurparticipatie, VSBfonds, Kunstloc Brabant en De Mastboom-Brosens Stichting. Erfgoed als inspiratiebron bij ruimtelijke en maatschappelijke opgaven Het innovatieve plan dat Van Coehoorn rond 1700 bedacht, bood een oplossing voor de uitdagingen van zijn tijd. Vandaag de dag staan we in Nederland voor nieuwe ruimtelijke en maatschappelijke opgaven. Denk aan klimaatverandering, water- en natuurbeheer en woningbouw. Tijdens vijf zogeheten 'ateliers' wisselden geïntereseerde bewoners, ambtenaren, heemkundigen en experts met elkaar van gedachte over de rol die het erfgoed van de Zuiderwaterlinie kan spelen in de oplossingen voor die belangrijke opgaven. Bertrand van den Boogert, coördinator Documentaire Informatievoorziening bij Waterschap Aa en Maas en expert 'Water' tijdens de ateliers: "Het was interessant om de ideeën van mensen te horen. Er zijn veel verschillende manieren waarop we het erfgoed van de Zuiderwaterlinie nu weer in kunnen zetten. Als waterschappen staan we voor grote water-opgaven. Hoe gaan we het beste om met periodes van droogte of extreme neerslag? Het werk en gedachtegoed van Menno van Coehoorn heeft mij laten inzien hoe belangrijk het is om de samenwerking tussen partijen op te zoeken en steeds te kijken naar het grotere geheel." De deelnemers van de ateliers zagen verschillende kansen. Zo kunnen we veel leren van de zelfvoorzienendheid van forten wat betreft wateropslag en die kennis toepassen bij nieuwe woonwijken. Of bestaande samenwerkingen bij dijkversterkingsprojecten benutten om, tegelijk met de versterking van een dijk, oude verdedigingswerken weer zichtbaar te maken in het landschap. Maar we kunnen vooral veel leren van het lef en vernuft van Menno van Coehoorn. Die kwaliteiten zijn vandaag de dag weer nodig. Samen bouwen aan de toekomst In 2024 zet de Alliantie Zuiderwaterlinie Menno's Reis voort. De kansen uit de ateliers zijn verzameld op een 'kansenkaart' waar de Zuiderwaterlinie samen met haar partners aan verder gaat werken. Zo gebruikt de Provincie Noord-Brabant die kansen en inzichten én de kennis uit het netwerk van de Zuiderwaterlinie voor de uitwerking van het Brabants ruimtelijk voorstel "Richting geven aan 'De Kwaliteit van Brabant'". Daarin staan de ruimtelijke uitdagingen voor Brabant richting de toekomst. De denkwijze en strategie van Menno van Coehoorn – kijken naar het grotere geheel en daar de samenhang en logica in zien – is daarvoor actueler dan ooit. Anne-Wil Maris, programmamanager Alliantie Zuiderwaterlinie: "Dit is het moment om het verleden aan de toekomst te koppelen. Met onze partners gaan we in het vervolg van Menno's Reis nieuwe koppelkansen ontdekken. Zo organiseren we dit jaar de Design Challenge 'Ondersteboven van Water in de Henriëttewaard' in samenwerking met Kunstloc Brabant, Staatsbosbeheer, TU Delft, NVTL, Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, Gemeente 's-Hertogenbosch, Waterschap Aa en Maas en de Provincie Noord-Brabant.

Daarin worden kunstenaars uitgedaagd om in multidisciplinaire teams met experts samen oplossingen te bedenken voor dit gebied. In deze nieuwe fase van Menno's Reis gaan we zeker weer veel nieuwe kennis en inzichten opdoen." De Zuiderwaterlinie De Zuiderwaterlinie is een unieke ketting van historische vestingsteden en hun ommeland, verbonden door het typisch Nederlandse verhaal van verdedigen met water. Om vijandelijke troepen uit het Zuiden tegen te houden, zette men het land rondom de vestingsteden onder water. Waar vroeger de soldaten aan de grens stonden, vind je nu veel gezelligheid tegen het decor van een rijke geschiedenis. Geniet van de gezellige historische vestingsteden, bezoek een van de stoere forten of ontspan in de bijzondere natuur.

[acicueta]

Menno Coehoorn - Gwent Card by Nemanja Stankovic

[incorrect-the-witcher-quotes]

Nilfgaard invading the Northern Realms

Menno Coehoorn: I say the whole world must learn of our peaceful ways...

Menno Coehoorn: By force!

[tigerlyla-of-metinna]

Emhyr: A Character Study: Part 6

When Emhyr holds long conversations (monologues for example), take it as a privilege and proof of the emperor's trust. 

Emhyr may be a man of a few words, and even fewer gestures, but when he starts a conversation, it’s almost always with just one person. And who are the lucky few who earned the privilege of holding long conversations with the emperor? Menno Coehoorn (Blood of Elves), False Ciri (Lady of The Lake), and Geralt (Lady of The Lake- possibly the longest conversation he held with one person).

Emhyr is always the one doing most of the talking and everyone must respond with short, concise and honest replies. 

Those who lack this privilege gets short audiences, orders, commands, and reprimands.

Note: There will be some post regarding conversations with Emhyr in the next few days.

All pics are edited in PS by me. Many thanks to friends The Bloody Baron (toreador_88 in IG) and JellyBearby ( also from IG) who gave them.

[suresaint]

Continued from here.

@fallesto

Detmold. The name rang a distant bell in her mind; someone had spoken the name to her once before, briefly, or she had read it in a report. Vernon Roche came to mind, and she made a mental note to broach the subject with the stern Blue Stripes commander the next time she saw him. She listened closely to what was said. Zelda could be too proud at times, she was still young and had much to learn, and when she was angry or embarrassed she could be shamefully childish, but she knew when to listen to the advice of those who knew more than her. She would not disregard anything her advisors had to say, but instead listen carefully and absorb it all in the same way that a butterfly gulped the nectar from a sweet-smelling bloom.

Vandergrift, on the other hand, was a name that she knew well enough. She could not hide her contempt, and drew in a breath, the strong line of her jaw setting. She had been in the company of Vandergrift only once, but it had been long enough for her to decide that she did not like him. She had been nineteen when they first met, and had only just won glory over Nilfgaard and field marshal Menno Coehoorn at the battle of Breza. That summer she was invited to a tournament at Ard Carraigh, where she was to meet the infamous Vandergrift, the Visitor, and witnessed his skill with a sword. His opponent had been King Demavend of Aedirn’s champion, the invincible Seltkirk of Gulet. Zelda recalled liking him almost immediately upon meeting him. He was handsome, and courageous, and conducted himself the way that a true knight should. There were not many of those left.

Seltkirk won the fight when Vandergrift’s blade had snapped in two, forcing Vandergrift to yield to his rival. His face had been thunderous afterwards, eyes black with fury. A week after the tournament, she learnt the extent of Vandergrift’s wrath. It was said that he had the smith who had forged his sword hanged. So she did not think that she was wrong in her judgement of Henselt’s hateful General, and would admit to being disappointed upon hearing of his survival. Henselt was an awful man, and she should hate him the most for trying to kill her, but she disliked Vandergrift even more. That he was the likely victor of any war for the Kaedweni throne annoyed her. He was rancid. Vandergrift was not an option to her. How many more men would he hang if he wielded the power of a king?

“I don’t trust him,” said Zelda, her eyes shadowed by a fleeting frown. “And certainly I do not believe he would be any better for the people of Kaedwen than Henselt. Even if in supporting him Temeria stood to gain a great deal.” She would not help to place a budding tyrant upon the throne of Kaedwen, even to her benefit. If that happened then the people of Kaedwen would be at his mercy, and she did not think that that man had been born with any mercy in him. “In any case, Henselt is not dead. And in truth I don’t plan on treating him in kind. An eye for an eye rarely does the vengeful any good.”

Thorley Greye made a sound of disapproval at that. He held a deep hatred in his heart for that son of a bitch Henselt. The fool had attempted to kill his Kyng. If it was up to the retired captain, he would remove Henselt’s head from his body, as well as his limbs, and roll the fat log into the sewers to be glutted by the rats and wild dogs.

The beloved Kyng of Temeria continued, despite the interruption from loyal Thorley Greye. “I’d like to call a summit with the other rulers. Henselt has to answer for his attempt on my life, the rest will take it seriously. But there’s nothing to stop him from denying the allegation. Our evidence is weak. Badges from my would-be assassins, who are dead now and burnt so badly that they are unrecognisable, and… you, Sabrina.”

This time when she met the sorceress’ eye, her face softened with gratitude. If not for Sabrina Glevissig, she knew that she would be dead. “But it’s your word against his, and he is a king. Confronting him on it would be disastrous and there’s no way of knowing if we would be believed.” Even so, the other rulers would take the allegation gravely. If it was true that Henselt had attempted to kill Temeria’s monarch, what was stopping him from trying to assassinate the rest of them? They would be forced, either way, to consider the validity of the claim, if only for their own sakes.

It looked like they were in a quandary.

“Do you suppose he will try it again?” She asked, and then, “what can you tell me about Detmold? What does he want in all this?”

[bloededhoine]

world building cause twn doesn't part 7: the first northern war

this is actually the part that made me want to start this series! but a wise idiot told me that none of it would make any sense without a bit of exposition. well, 6 parts later, let's go!

colour code cause i fucking love colour codes - already happened/introduced, probably s2, important background info, stuff that might be in the prequel, extras

masterpost

background

this war takes place entirely in ciri's timeline in twn, which is actually one of the most logical thing the showrunner's did

basically, nilfgaard is BIG into expanding and conquering new territories, cause sapkowski was actually kind of a comrade

in 1263, emhyr var emreis, the emperor of nilfgaard, turned his focus north, to the lovely kingdom of cintra. since nilfgaard already controlled all areas south of cintra, it was not at all difficult for them to get there

you probably remember this angular looking gentleman as cahir mawr dyffryn aep ceallach, a nilfgaardian vicovarian officer. he is SUPER important for twn, so here's what you need to know:

cahir's family is incredibly well established, even though they aren't "real" nilfgaardians. cahir's great aunt is even one of emhyr's favourite mages.

he is also a Lot younger than the show made him, like i think he's maybe 18, but he could be as young as 16. this is a literal child, but a very smart child, so emhyr tasked him specifically with capturing the cintrian princess, cirilla, and bringing her back to nilfgaard

invasion of cintra

the red line on the left is the nilfgaardian army's path from alba to the marnadal stairs, the only pass from the south to cintra. they were led by menno coehoorn, but we don't see him in twn (yet! he is super important for a ton of major battles).

the cintran army, led by queen calanthe and her bisexual trophy husband eist tuirseach, was waiting for them at the red star on the map on the right. unfortunately, eist was shot through the eye and killed, only a small group of survivors were able to escape

this group, including calanthe herself, were able to make it back to the capital (shown by the red line on the right) and warn the others that nilfgaard was coming

but, since calanthe had sent all her soldiers to the marnadal pass, there was no one left to defend the city and basically everyone was either killed or imprisoned, with queen calanthe committing suicide

pro tip: if a woman in the witcher makes a big mistake, such as leaving your capital entirely open to attack, and then commits suicide after having an emotional moment with her chosen daughter, something big is about to happen

BUT... princess cirilla fiona elen riannon, lion cub of cintra, heiress to inis ard skellig and inis an skellig, carrier of the hen ichaer, and all around badass, managed to escape with a small escort *whoah!*

by some weird coincidence (or destiny??), this escort ran right into cahir and his group. a scuffle ensued, with the only survivors being cahir and ciri

now, cahir's plan was already a little off the rails, so he just grabbed a terrified and screeching ciri and started running. lucky for him, she fainted pretty quickly

cahir disguised himself and (still unconscious) ciri with mud and shit and tried to join a refugee group, but he felt that this was too risky and decided to take ciri and book it (again)

when ciri woke up, cahir tried to calm her down, but since they didn't speak the same language this was pretty unsuccessful. like, imagine being 10 year old child and waking up covered in dirt with some random slightly-older-child speaking gibberish.

eventually, they both fell asleep, but ciri was able to run while cahir was sleeping. cahir moped back to nilfgaard, and was imprisoned for a year due to his spectacular performance.

obviously, this is very different from the show, but i need everyone to know how perfect my SON is

sodden

obviously, cintra was a massive victory for emhyr (aside from the missing heir to the kingdom he conquered).

next, coehoorn and his armies marched (red line) to upper sodden (red star) and had another huge victory. they were planning on conquering lower sodden (for some reason it's geographically north of upper sodden?), and therefore all areas south of the yaruga

BUT... temeria, redania, kaedwen, aedirn and a shit ton of other allies, including 22 mages, were ready to fight at sodden hill (blue star)

of the people we've met in the witcher, a huge chunk of them were at sodden. seriously. yennefer, triss, vilgefortz, foltest, sabrina, tissaia, yarpen zigrin, and crach an craite were all fighting for the north

despite nilfgaard's huge winning streak, manpower, money, and superior weaponry, the north won both the battle and the war

aftermath

emhyr was not happy. at all. he didn't throw menno coehoorn in prison, but he did put him in time out in cintra

this also gave emhyr a pretty hefty vengeance against mages, especially yennefer, triss, sabrina, philippa, and enid.

[rijksmuseum-art]

Portrait of Menno Baron van Coehoorn (1641-1704). General in the Artillery and Fortifications Engineer, Museum of the Netherlands

Portret van Menno baron van Coehoorn, generaal der artillerie en vestingbouwkundige. Staand, ten halven lijve, in wapenrusting. Kopie naar het origineel in het Rijksmuseum Twente, Enschede.

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.4726

[bookcalanthedaily]

I'd choose Stefan Skellen as an example if his methods were another, he's a good example of nilf who did want to change a system of government (he chose a wrong way, we know it, 'cos we're the readers, even if he believed that was the only way). Such nilfs as lady Congreve (she seemed to be good/neutral/decent), those who were instigated by the emperor's order, but sincerely believed in the idea: Menno Coehoorn and his soldiers, brilliant spy de Redaux and his weakness - Cantarella (on her own).

stefan skellen got executed for his ideas.

with lady congreve, i agree, she seemed good-natured enough.

menno coehoorn's soldiers were commiting terrible war crimes.

i don't feel comfortable speaking about cantarella, because i don't think we know enough about her excluding her brief appearence in tw3. as in: we don't know about her actual moral alignment.

as for vattier de rideaux, he sincerely believed in the empire's ideas. people who in nazi germany sincerely believed in nazi's ideas were... well. nazi's.

so in 7 books we have 2 exceptions, one of which got executed. i don't think that makes for a strong case for nilfgaard. but then, hear me out.

everything i say i base purely on book canon. if you want to view nilfgaard as complicated or morally grey or some other, that is your right and i am not going to try and stop you or convince you otherwise. quite the opposite!

i just don't believe that that nilfgaard was supposed to be anything but a bunch of morally corrupt individuals in the books. even when someone did try to change it, like stefan, the entire country is supposed to be a huge threat and the big main villain, much like, you gave a good example there, mordor in lord of the rings, or the night king's army in got.

let's take got as an example here. there are morally grey houses. lannisters are not all bad, obviously. no house is all bad. but there is one big bad - an army of literal zombies - that is not meant to have any nuance wether or not it is morally grey. and i think that is nilfgaard in the witcher books and that is what they are supposed to be.

and i am not saying you shouldn't create your own version, your on story within the empire, of someone who is not like them, of somepne who is not that morally corrupt, who maybe opposes slavery, who opposes the colonisation of the north.

but, once again, what i talk about is book canon. and in the books, i really struggle to find a single redeeming quality to the empire. even the ending where they finally sign the treaty in cintra is not considered a good ending.

[oxenfurt-archives]

Aldersburg

“ Aldersburg is known for its position in the First and Second Battles of Aldersberg. In the first battle, the Northern troops of King Demawend and Queen Meve of Lyria broke from negotiations and took on the Nilfgaardians, under noted Nilfgaardian general Menno Coehoorn. The Northern armies were routed. In the second battle King Henselt of Kaedwen joined Demawend and Meve, and the Nilfgaardians were overcome. The battlegrounds outside the city are only now recovering, and scavengers sometimes find armor and weapons left after the battles. Also well known in Aldersberg is the tale of Jacques de Aldersberg, who left this town as a hungry waif and rose to be the Grand Master of the Order of the Flaming Rose before he descended into madness. "

Brandon of Oxenfurt

The Witcher Lore (72/∞)

[astaldis]

Issue no 32 - Kneeling: Prison Blues

@whumpers-monthly

Ups, whumpee has to do an awful lot of kneeling in this fic 🙈 (and these here are only some examples).

Fandom: The Witcher (TV)

Whumpee: Cahir

Whumper: Emhyr var Emreis

Caretaker: Assire var Anahid, Jaskier

Characters: Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach, Geralt of Rivia, Emiel Regis Rohellec Terzieff-Godefroy, Jaskier, Emhyr var Emreis, Assire var Anahid, Merlin (the cat), Menno Coehoorn, Vilgefortz of Roggeveen

Relationships: Cahir/Emhyr

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: GDoV, Rape/Non-Con, torture, Dead Dove Do Not Eat!

Words: 32,676; Chapters: 14/14

Written pre-season 3, compliant with seasons 1+2

Excerpt from Chapter 3: ... and Punishment

"Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach. My once most trusted commander. What a pity it has come to that." Emhyr's voice is almost gentle as he looks at the badly bruised prisoner who is standing, back to the far wall and barefoot, in the dimly-lit dungeon cell. They have, of course, not only stripped him of his weapons, but also of his armour and most of his clothes, leaving the prisoner in only a thin, black shirt and pants which are, by now, bloodstained and dirty.

"On your knees, traitor!" he then barks, the sudden shift in tone lending even more bite to the Emperor's harsh command. 

Having expected the guards to come back for another round of beating when the door creaked open, not Emhyr var Emreis himself to enter his cell, Cahir unelegantly falls to his knees in front of his Emperor after the initial shock of surprise. This then is surely it, the final verdict he has been waiting for for nearly three weeks of imprisonment. And daily physical abuse. As the Emperor rules, no, has to rule Nilfgaard with an iron fist, most likely the end. Another execution, and what are the odds of escaping a second time?

Excerpt from Chapter 4: A Weird Visit

"You look - dreadful. But alive, as I promised," the Emperor drawls. Cahir's eyes fly open in a strange mixture of shock and hope. He has no idea at all anymore of what to expect of the White Flame. More punishment and torture? Or was that it and he will be pardoned, released on probation, perhaps? Admittedly, this sounds too good to be true, so it probably will not happen any time soon. But while there is life, there is hope, isn't that how the saying goes? And he is alive after all, like Emhyr promised.

The Emperor keeps eying him up with an inscrutable, dark gaze as Cahir kneels down before him. He must look dreadful, indeed. And smell awful, too, of dried blood and sweat and unwash. At least he did not piss or shit his pants during the torture, nor afterwards. He would have died of shame if he had.

"I know this is going to be a rather, let's say, one-sided conversation, obviously. But don't worry, you are not expected to say anything," the Emperor says eventually in an almost friendly, conversational tone of voice. "Just the occasional nod or shaking of the head will suffice. Actually, a nice change from those tedious conversations at court. Perhaps I should have a few more tongues removed just to stop the constant complaints and ridiculous requests those courtiers bore me with each and every day." He pauses as if seriously contemplating the idea. Maybe he is.

"You probably think you have it bad at the moment," he then goes on. "I admit, your circumstances are not exactly - delightful." He looks around the prison cell meaningfully. "Surely a far cry from what you were used to here in the palace. But," he starts pacing up and down in front of the still kneeling prisoner, "try being an Emperor. Imagine the permanent fear of one of your most trusted advisors turning against you, betraying you for the sake of their own agenda. The possibility of one of your allegedly most loyal nobel families secretly plotting your demise to replace you. The perhaps not utterly unfounded suspicion that your most devoted mistress is spying on you, selling your secrets to the enemy or trying to murder you in your sleep. The not totally far-fetched fear that your most talented mage might decide to curse you into an abominable monster. And, let's not forget," his voice lowers into a dangerous growl, "imagine your favourite commander lying to you - well, you'd know this one, Cahir, wouldn't you?"

Cahir stares up at Emhyr in confusion. Is the Emperor really implying that he has it worse than his prisoner?

Excerpt from Chapter 7: A Welcome Surprise

As it soon turns out, the water is not intended for the dungeon floor, nor its walls, but for the prisoner. The guards grab Cahir by his shoulders and make him kneel in front of one of the buckets. His heart starts to race wildly. They are not going to water torture him, are they? Before he can think of any reason at all why they would do that, the guards dunk his head into the bucket. Cahir struggles, panicking. To his very surprise, though, the guards let go of him almost immediately. He comes up and gulps in as much air as he can, fully expecting his head to be forced under water again right away. However, it does not happen. Confused, he looks up, only now realising that the water dripping from his face and hair onto his soaked shirt is pleasantly warm. Curious. 

When the guards do not repeat the treatment, but step away from the bucket instead, making room for the elderly servant, it finally dawns on Cahir that this is not meant as torture. A correct conjecture as the woman produces a bar of hard soap from the basket and starts rubbing it into the prisoner's dripping wet hair with deft fingers. It is not exactly the fragrance of violets and roses that starts filling the dungeon air but something more basic with a tinge of ammonia and ash. However, it smells, and feels, nicely clean.

Excerpt from Chapter 8: Ruin

"You look much better. The haircut is definitely an improvement. As well as the fresh clothes. Black does suit you," the Emperor says appraisingly when he comes to visit the prisoner late in the evening that day. Thoroughly enjoying the feeling of being clean for once, Cahir was, for the lack of a blanket, already half asleep in his new shirt and pants when the door creaked open, and thought he was dreaming at first. But he was not. The Emperor is here in his cell. And he is, once again, kneeling before him with trepidation, not having a clue about what to expect of the visit. More punishment? Absolution and release? Just another, rather one-sided, chat? Anything is possible. Which is quite unsettling. 

"Let's see if the food and exercise are doing you good, too," Emhyr continues. "Take off your shirt."

Cahir does as he is ordered. 

"Hmm, far better, indeed. Lean, but wiry." Emhyr reaches down to the kneeling prisoner and clutches Cahir's upper arm with one hand, feeling his biceps. "And muscular enough. The push-ups are paying off, I guess." Then, this time with the slightly callused inside of his thumb, he traces down one of the fresh scars that runs from Cahir's shoulder to his wrist, giving the young knight goosebumps all over. "Healed nicely, too. Not painful anymore, I hope?" Cahir shakes his head, surprised at the question. Is the White Flame concerned about him after all?

"Good. I trust you still remember the lesson, though?" 

The lesson. Cahir swallows visibly at the memory. Of course, he remembers, how could he forget? Bowing his head and looking down at the stone floor, he nods.

"What are you waiting for then?" The Emperor suddenly barks at him. "Strip!"

Excerpt from Chapter 14: ... and out of the woods?

"Wait, Geralt. There is no need, I assure you. This will only get embarrassing - for everybody."

"I need to see for myself before I believe it," the Witcher retorts, shrugs off the vampire's hand and sets off further into the woods careful not to make any noise. Which he, being an experienced monster hunter, accomplishes with ease. As does - being an experienced hunter of all kinds of non-monstery creatures - Milva the archer, who follows the Witcher's lead, whether mostly out of curiosity or concern, she does not know for sure herself. Naturally, as there should always be a voice of reason and logic, Regis is right behind her. Being a more than four hundred-year-old higher vampire, he is making no sound at all.

What the trio finds in the dim light of dusk is this: 

The Nilfgaardian warrior who utterly fearlessly led an entire army into battle just a few days ago - admittedly, it was a very small and insignificant battle no history book would ever mention and only a ragtag guerrilla army but nevertheless, they won against the superior Imperial forces, even if the victory was achieved only, but permissibly, by quickly retreating from the battleground - this fierce warrior is kneeling on the forest floor sobbing his heart out onto the bard's shoulder while the bard, who is likewise kneeling, is holding the crying knight in a tight embrace, murmuring words of comfort in his ear and patting him soothingly on the back. A scene as heartbreakingly cute as disturbing. And a situation that ought not be disturbed. Under no circumstances and definitely not by a grumpy old, paranoid Witcher who expected to find something totally different. Fortunately, said Witcher has sense enough to sense this all on his own and without Regis admonishing him or Milva poking him in the ribs. Which they do anyways. Before they leave again as quickly and quietly as they have come.

Only a faint scent of woodworm, basil, sage, aniseed and cinnamon keeps lingering between the silent trees. Then it, too, vanishes without a trace.

[regioonlineofficial]

Op 1 oktober start het grootste historische evenement van Nederland: de Maand van de Geschiedenis. Honderden musea, bibliotheken, boekhandels en culturele instellingen organiseren talloze activiteiten rondom het jaarthema 'Eureka!'. Naast rondleidingen, lezingen en tentoonstellingen zijn er ook theatervoorstellingen en kinderprogramma's: met ruim 550 activiteiten is er voor iedereen wat te doen, in iedere provincie. Een greep uit het programma in Noord-Brabant. Potteriekes Wandel met behulp van een app door de wijk Potteriekes in Bergen op Zoom. Daar woonden in de Middeleeuwen de pottenbakkers. Er zijn bij opgravingen nogal wat bodemschatten aangetroffen. Ervaar uw eigen archeologische eurekamoment bij deze (digitale) archeologische stadswandeling door de historische binnenstad van Bergen op Zoom! Bergen op Zoom, Stichting In den Scherminckel (SIDS), 1 t/m 31 oktober Drukpers In de rondleiding laat het Nederlands Drukkerij Museum zien wat een eurekamoment het was toen Gutenberg het gieten van loden letters uitvond. Tijdens de workshop erna leer je de beginselen van het letterzetten en boekdrukken. Elke deelnemer zet en drukt met een eigengemaakt ontwerp of idee haar briefpapier, visitekaartje, label of postertje. Etten-Leur, Nederlands Drukkerij Museum, 1 oktober Vloeiweide Na zestig jaar van verwerken kan Freek eindelijk zijn verhaal vertellen. De eerste oorlogsdagen, de vlucht, de bezetting, kwajongensstreken, het Oranjehotel in Scheveningen, onderduiken, Dolle Dinsdag, het drama op de Vloeiweide, de bevrijding en een zeer verrassende nasleep. Een complete beleving door storytelling, live muziek, drankjes en hapjes uit oorlogstijd. Breda, Bredase Maand van de Geschiedenis, 12 en 19 oktober ArcheoFactory In de ArcheoFactory ben jij voor even de archeoloog. Kies een van de drie archeologische vindplaatsen en ontrafel de geheimen. Wie zijn er hier begraven? Wat betekenen de objecten die je in de grond vindt? Waar komen deze vandaan? Met behulp van moderne, archeologische technieken kan jij alle vragen beantwoorden. Zo kom je alles te weten over archeologie. Eindhoven, preHistorisch Dorp, 1 t/m 31 oktober Looierij Kuip, laf, vat. Drie belangrijke begrippen binnen het looibedrijf die de ontwikkeling van het leerlooien door de eeuwen heen omschrijven. Op deze rondleiding van Museum De Looierij kun je zien hoe het looien van leer zich heeft ontwikkeld in de afgelopen 150 jaar, van traditionele kleinschalige huislooierijen tot de grootschalige duurzame leerproducenten van vandaag de dag. Dongen, Museum De Looierij, 29 oktober Menno's Reis In 2023 is het 325 jaar geleden dat Menno van Coehoorn de basis legde voor wat we nu kennen als de Zuiderwaterlinie. Tijdens Menno's Reis versterken we de connectie tussen verleden, heden en zelfs de toekomst. Er reist een dynamisch kunstwerk van de jonge makers van Studio APVIS, geïnspireerd op het gedachtegoed van Menno van Coehoorn, langs musea door de hele linie. Diverse locaties, Zuiderwaterlinie en Markiezenhof, 1 t/m 31 oktober Open Dag Duik in het verleden tijdens de open dag van Streekarchief Langstraat Heusden Altena in de Maand van de Geschiedenis! Bekijk historische dorpsfilms en bijzondere archiefstukken; doe mee met de geschiedenisquiz, een speurtocht of een workshop oude handschriften; snuffel rond op de boekenmarkt; ga mee het depot in en zie hoe de archiefstukken worden bewaar; en ontvang een historische traktatie. Heusden, Streekarchief Langstraat Heusden Altena, 28 oktober De plantage van onze voorouders In het herdenkingsjaar 2023 kruipen Manoushka Zeegelaar Breeveld en Malou Gorter in de huid van Maartje Duin en Peggy Bouva om grip te krijgen op de gezamenlijke koloniale geschiedenis en alles wat daaruit is voortgevloeid. Samen gaan ze terug naar een gedeeld verleden, naar de plantage Tout Lui Faut in Suriname, de plek die hun voorouders verbindt. Steeds meer wordt duidelijk hoe de historische ongelijkheid doorwerkt in het heden. Eindhoven, Orkater, 27 oktober

Space Race Vertoning van de film Hidden Figures, het waargebeurde verhaal over drie NASA-wiskundigen die de VS aan een koppositie hielpen in de Space Race. Alsof hun opgave nog niet moeilijk genoeg was, moesten de drie daarbij ook nog tegen een dubbel vooroordeel opboksen: behalve vrouwen in een mannenbolwerk waren ze Afro-Amerikanen in een tijd dat rassensegregatie in de VS legaal was. Son en Breugel, Bibliotheek Dommeldal, 12 oktober OVT Er gaat geen Maand van de Geschiedenis voorbij of de OVT-karavaan met presentatoren, historici en gasten trekt door het land. Op 22 oktober zendt OVT live uit vanuit het Natlab in Eindhoven. Eindhoven, OVT op tournee, 22 oktober De complete agenda is te bekijken op: www.maandvandegeschiedenis.nl/agenda. Selecteer op Noord-Brabant voor het hele complete aanbod in deze provincie. Over de organisatie van de Maand van de Geschiedenis Het Nederlands Openluchtmuseum organiseert in oktober 2023 voor de twaalfde maal de Maand van de Geschiedenis, die haar twintigste editie beleeft. Het Fonds voor Cultuurparticipatie en het Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds zijn investeerders van de Maand van de Geschiedenis. Om het evenement tot een succes te maken werkt het Nederlands Openluchtmuseum samen met verschillende partnerorganisaties. De Libris Geschiedenis Prijs is onderdeel van de Maand van de Geschiedenis. De Maand van de Geschiedenis is te vinden op Facebook, Twitter en Instagram. Praat mee over de Maand met de hashtags #MvdG en #eureka

[vulturequill]

Battle of Brenna

Nilfgaard only brought cavalry to the Battle of Brenna, and is getting screwed by infantry squares.

I wager Menno Coehoorn was playing too much Fire Emblem: Heroes.

[angelienahuis-blog]

’t Pielekeswater’ Al wandelend vanuit het stadspark betreed ik het houten bruggetje en voor mij zie ik de poort naar het Ravelijn op den Zoom; het werd reeds in 1703 gebouwd. Het is trouwens een hele bijzondere brug, ze is namelijk drijvend en daardoor aan het bewegend waterpeil zonder al te veel zorgen toevertrouwd. Het water onder de brug trekt mijn oog, ik aanschouw de eenden en geniet van het bijna onophoudend gesnater… Is het dan toch waar, vormen de eenden, samen met het nauw Bergs-Antwerps verbond de naam ’t Pielekeswater? Ik sta stil en laat het verleden in mijn gedachten passeren. Dit vijfhoekig eiland, met haar roemruchtige geschiedenis, kan mij absoluut nog heel veel leren. Wat zijn kazematten, wat zijn eigenlijk lunetten? En wie was Menno van Coehoorn: door zijn ontwerp wist men dit zeer indrukwekkend gebouw weg te zetten. In dit Ravelijn vind je ondergrondse kanonkelders en mijn fantasie slaat inmiddels helemaal door. Ik denk aan de kijk en schietspleten, ik wil ze zien…ik ga ervoor! Ik heb afgesproken met één van de gidsen van SBM (Stichting Bezichtiging Monumenten) en ik krijg een rondleiding van ongeveer één uur. Dit kan trouwens iedere zondag tot en met 26 oktober en kost maar drie euro, dus dat is absoluut niet duur. Woooow, ik heb er echt zin in…ik aanschouw zo dadelijk één van de weinige overblijfselen van de vestingwerken van Bergen op Zoom. En weet je, straks…als ik op dat binnenplein ben, dan roep ik samen met de gids heel hard:“MENSEN, HOUDT U VROOM!” Een gedicht uit Gazet Bergen op Zoom week 33 door: EEN STEM VAN GEDACHTEN 💭 Tags: #bergenopzoomcity #bergenopzoom #ravelijn #ravelijnboz #bergenopzoomnl #gazetbergenopzoom #gazet #historie #nostalgie https://www.instagram.com/p/B1S_eKdIwBD/?igshid=enm3jla89vbg

[voces25]

Lange Voorhout Palace en La Haya fue diseñada en 1760 por el arquitectoPieter de Swart para Anthony Patras (1718-1764), diputado a los Estados Generales de los Países Bajos. Patras, nacido en Ginebra, era un sobrino del gobernador Abraham Patras . En 1734, Anthony llegó a Batavia en las Indias Orientales Holandesas. Cuando su tío, el gobernador, murió en 1737, el joven heredó su inmensa fortuna, la colección de libros y el arte. En 1738 se casó con una hija de Isaac van Schinne, miembro del Consejo de la India. Después de la masacre de Batavia en 1740 , regresó a la República Holandesa. En 1743 trató de convertirse en un miembro deSloten 's vroedschap , que se negó a nombrarlo. Después de dos años, repentinamente se convirtió en un maestro de la ciudad de Frisia, sucediendo a Onno Zwier van Haren.. Fue un representante general de los Estados para esta pequeña ciudad hasta su muerte temprana. (En Wijckel compró Meerensteique fue construido para Menno van Coehoorn .) Patras murió temprano y probablemente casi no vivía en su nueva casa en Lange Voorhout . Su viuda se vio obligada a vender la propiedad en 1778 y en los próximos años tuvo tres propietarios diferentes. En 1796, la mansión fue comprada por Archibald Hope (1747-1821), un gerente de la Compañía Holandesa de las Indias Occidentales. Archibald era primo de Henry Hope y Jan Hope y estaba involucrado en el negocio de banca familiar. En 1808 murió su esposa. Napoleón y su esposa en sus viajespor el Primer Imperio Francés lo usaron una noche. El inventario se vendió en diciembre de 1821 y duró más de dos semanas. El edificio fue comprado por Renaud Diederick James de Ginkell, séptimo conde de Athlone (1773–1823), casado con una hija de John Williams Hope. En 1831, el Ministro de Asuntos Exteriores Johan Gijsbert Verstolk van Soelen (1776-1845) se mudó. Tenía una enorme colección de arte holandés que se vendió después de su muerte. (en Escher Paleis Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bud0H9An_IzQuHMFcS8bj7FosMatERauQIVNUc0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=esarryvzv7j8