Punctuation, and grammar in general, is the difference between knowing your shit and knowing you're shit.
With that example cited, I'm not about to get into a war of anecdotes. Removing the distinction between 'you're' and 'your' lessens communication in at least one instance, and cannot possibly bolster communication in any instance. The distinction between the two is therefore practically valid.
If a mistake is so commonly made, it means that the distinction no longer has a meaningful function. Your/You're can (and just very well might) melt into a single word and it will not harm the language in any way. Your just being pedantic.
I just outlined a valid example of a way in which such a change would harm the language. 'You're' and 'Your' have entirely different meanings, both of which can make sense in context and convey two entirely dissimilar messages. Any fundamental change to English grammar would introduce ambiguity. It is for the sake of maximizing the English language's purpose, as a medium of communication, that I correct grammatical mistakes. Stuffiness doesn't factor into it.
If you want an example of a grammatical rule that IS entirely unhelpful in maximizing communication, go find a grizzled old grammarian who insists that sentences shouldn't end in prepositions.
It isn't laziness, it's people realizing conflating the two words is convenient and the next step of evolution for the word-- you can understand what is being said based on the context of the sentence.
Neglecting to correctly distinguish between 'you're' and 'your' is not linguistic evolution, it is laziness and/or ignorance that denigrates clarity of meaning. Punctuation, and grammar in general, is the difference between knowing your shit and knowing you're shit. In your case, and Depressed's case, it's definitely the contraction. You're likely just a troll: @Depressed is the actual offender.
if ud rly prfr ppl tlk lk ths thn fn, your fre t spk how u lk—but your speaking that way does not change the rules of the English language, and your freedom to speak however you like is attached to your freedom to be objectively wrong.
-Government Type: Republic. Violette is governed by a unicameral legislature, the Violette Senate, which consists of five hundred directly elected senators serving three year terms. The Violette Senate determines the entirety of Veletian public policy; it drafts, amends and appeals all of the republic's legislation and has exclusive authority over the full extent of the republic's area.
-Currency: Veletian Franc.
-Population: 920,000. Including the Luzerne and the settlers of the Fleurs de Mer, this number rises to about a million.
-Unique Trait #1:Maritime Trade; Violette is one of the most important ports in the Deeping Ocean. It has prosperous trade relationships with both the Empire of Abelon and the mighty Justinian kingdoms of the east. Veletian merchant vessels can be spotted from the far end of Geryon to the northern borders of Tityos, their holds filled to the brim on their return voyages with the exotic wonders of far-off lands.
-Unique Trait #2:Bustling Streets; Violette is the largest settlement in the Dragon's Spine. It is expansive and fast-growing, with new technological innovations and ever improving trade relationships helping to sustain a larger and larger population and grow the city further and further. This, naturally, is excellent for the city's economy: more and more people means more and more demand for goods and services, which in turn generates ever increasing economic activity. As such, Violette is the Dragon Spine's largest city not only in terms of population, but also gross domestic product.
-Unique Flaw #1:Piracy; Where coin can be earned honestly, it can also be earned dishonestly. The high volume of trade activity in and around the republic encourages not only the downtrodden of Violette's own streets to enter the pirate profession, but also ne'er do wells from foreign lands. Whilst the seas immediately surrounding the city and in and around her island colonies are kept relatively secure through the undying efforts of the Veletian navy, the rest of the region, especially the so-called 'Dead Bay' to the west and the Fleurs de Liseron to the east, is filled to the brim with the skull and crossbones.
-Unique Flaw #2:Nativist Insurrection; The Veletians have been embroiled in a long-running guerilla war for decades now, fighting against the rebellious native inhabitants of the 'Fleurs de Mer'—the Veletian name for the islands of the Deeping Ocean to which Violette lays claim. The coasts of the islands are under secure Veletian control, but their interiors are tenaciously defended by what remains of the islands' original non-human inhabitants. These rebels constantly hassle the efforts of Veletian settlers trying to establish homesteads at any appreciable distance from the coast, and occasionally even attempt raids on the islands' major ports.
GEOGRAPHICAL
-Major Towns/Colonies
Luzerne; Not actually a town per se, Luzerne is the name used to refer to Violette's outskirts, the farmer's fields and various small villages which comprise the Veletian mainland outside of Violette itself. The phrase Luzerne is often used in a derogatory sense, synonymous with 'provincial', referring to the attitudes and mannerisms of the rural folk. The word refers to not only to the region itself but also the people within it: Luzerne is populated by the Luzerne. The Luzerne have an accent which is notably distinct from the standard Veletian accent, less smooth and more guttural, with much more colourful slurs and plentiful slang. The Luzerne subculture is also found in some of Violette's poorer neighbourhoods, much of which are in fact populated by recent settlers from the countryside.
Fleur de Tulipe; The largest of Violette's colony-towns, also used to refer to the island on which it is located. Fleur de Tulipe is the most peaceful of the Veletian islands; this is because the island was the first to be settled by the Veletians, resulting it its native inhabitants having already been entirely defeated, unlike in the republic's other isles. For this reason, and also because of Fleur de Tulipe's famously fertile soil, the island has a reputation as the republic's breadbasket.
Fleur de Pissenlit; The most modest of the Veletian islands in both size and population. Fleur de Pissenlit's heavily forested interior hides many small camps filled with dangerous rebels, but the woods are nonetheless the colony's most important asset. Most of Fleur de Pissenlit's economic activity comes from lumber extraction, and there is a great diversity of tree species to be found in the island's forest—almost as great a diversity as methods of murder any lumberers who venture in too deep might be subjected to by the guerillas.
Fleur de Fétuque; A large island, but with very few settlers—it is believed that the number of non-humans remaining in rebellion in Fleur de Fétuque may indeed outnumber the settlers, although for obvious reasons there is no accurate way of assessing the guerillas' numbers. Most of the island is thick grassland, in which it is easy for wandering bands of rebels to prowl silently and invisibly. There have been attempts by settlers to clear the grasslands and set up farms, but they rarely end in success. Although the climate and soil are supportive, the roving bands of armed and hostile raiders are not. If a settler is lucky, he'll find his crops either trampled or set ablaze. If he's unlucky, he'll be murdered, and his entire homestead desecrated or demolished.
Fleur de Fétuque's mountain, called Bastard's Peak by the Veletians, is home to a particularly high density of rebel activity. However, excavators have found that it is also home to a greater many thick ore veins, so the mountains and their surroundings are, in spite of the rebel activity, home to most of the island's primary settlers: miners. These miners are always accompanied by more than a few armed guards, regulars of the Veletian gendarmerie. Occasionally, this military presence is enough to keep the mines (relatively) safe and profitable. All too often, it is not. Atrocities are far from uncommon in the Bastard's Peak, and it has even been hypothesized that the rebels might have their headquarters hidden somewhere in the treacherous mountains.
Fleurs de Liseron; The name given to the smaller islands around Fleur de Fétuque, excluding Fleur de Pissenlit. The Fleurs de Liseron are mostly useless, possessing very few settlers and even fewer natives. Unlike the three larger islands, they are rocky outcrops that cannot be used for either farming, lumber or mining. Their only real purpose is illicit: piracy. Along with the pirates of the Dead Bay, the maritime bandits of Liseron are a plague on Violette, negatively impacting trade and occasionally even ambushing Veletian military vessels to send a message to the Senate. Thankfully for the Veletians, the pirates of Liseron have targets besides the Veletians to go after. Veletian captains who aren't worried about getting a little dirt under their fingernails sometimes even make deals with the pirates of Liseron, sending them against their competition in order to afford more plentiful and more lucrative trade routes for themselves.
-Major Castles/Fortresses
Estporte; A fortress guarding the eastern approach of the Most Serene Republic. Estporte is as much a wall as it is a fortress, heavily fortified only on the side facing east, the direction of the many Justinian kingdoms of Geryon, who might either envy Violette's wealth or wish to convert its inhabitants by the sword. Estporte's walls are thick, structurally fortified against siege weapons (including cannon), and run the entire distance from the mountains to the coast, built into each. There are battlements set up at regular distances along the fort's length as well, to fend off those who might try to breach the walls. Each battlement holds numerous cannons and rows of musketeers and archers, ready at any moment to absolutely slaughter an army unwise enough to approach.
As it is nearly impossible to reach Violette by land from the east without going through Estporte, the fortress' purpose is both practical and has extensive propaganda value. Even if all the armies of Geryon were to band together to strike a killing blow against Estporte, their ranks would be savagely slaughtered by the gunpowder defences of the eastern wall, rendering them no match for the well-equipped gendarmerie waiting on the other side. The only way to approach Violette from the east without going through Estporte is to travel over the seas, which are extensively patrolled by the powerful Veletian navy, or to take the long and arduous trek through the Dragontail Mountains, opening the approaching army to the threat of deadly ambush.
-Buildings of Interest: Violette's crowning feature is the Palais du Peuple, a gargantuan construct resembling a cathedral, built in the Gothic style. It is situated on a small island at the city's northernmost point, the Fleur de Violette, which both lent its name to the city itself and served as the inspiration for the naming of the republic's island colonies. The Palais du Peuple is the seat of the Violette Senate, housing not only their chambers but also private residences for each senator, servant's quarters for the chamber's staff and a gendarmerie barracks. On the southern side of the Palais du Peuple, above the main entrance, there is a stained glass depiction of a violet in bloom. This symbol has come to represent the republic, and is emblazoned on shields, incorporated into the business logos of trading outfits and even crafted onto the sides of shapes or drawn onto their sails. The Palais du Peuple is the heart and mind of the Most Serene Republic of Violette, and its majestic form contrasted against the horizon of the Deeping Ocean is a sight which instils immense patriotism in all Veletians.
-Geographic Features of Interest: The Dragontail mountains, the name given by the Veletians to the north-eastern end of the main mountain range of the Dragon's Spine, separate Violette's borders into two sections: east and south. The east is heavily defended by the fortress of Estporte, but in the south, in the Luzerne, is the most beautiful natural feature in the republic: the Piscine de la Lune. A large, natural pool, as if carved in prehistory into the side of the Dragontails. The Piscine de la Lune is traditionally used as a place of worship, a location to venerate Uwan, the Goddess of the Moon and Queen of the Astral Hierarchy. As of late however it is becoming less and less frequented as the Veletians gradually lose touch with faith.
-Territory Description: The republic's northern coast-lands, including Violette itself, are Mediterranean in climate. Further south, into the farther away regions of the Luzerne, the climate becomes more temperate. Naturally, the Dragontails are quite cold at their higher elevations as well. Almost 100% of the land area of the republic's mainland not covered by the city of Violette is used for agriculture.
RACIAL
-Majority Race: Human.
-Majority Race Appearance: Self-explanatory. Two arms, two legs, a head and so forth.
-Majority Race Characteristics: Veletians tend towards the features of southern Europe, such as olive skin and darker hair colours. This tendency is most pronounced in the Fleur de Tulipe, and least evident in the far south of the Luzerne, where lighter tones are more common. Fair skin and hair are seen as stereotypically Luzerne features.
-Minority Races: None, except in the Fleurs de Mer, which are home to the Lescour, the island's hostile natives.
-Minority Race Characteristics: The Lescour are an usually hairy race of humanoids, rarely taller than five feet but with appreciable strength for their size. They are a race on the decline, the Veletians actively trying to force them out from wherever they still exist, and thus it is unusual to run into a free Lescour who is not armed and ready to fight.
RELIGION & MAGIC
-State Religion: Violette's official religion is the Astral Hierarchy.
-Religious Information: The Veletians are nominal worshippers of the Old Gods, but the Breaking of the Moon long ago shook the faith of most in the city. The Luzerne are still relatively religious folk, but even they are gradually finding religion less and less powerful of a force in their lives. Although the worship of the Astral Hierarchy is waning, Violette is far from accepting Justinianism as its replacement; although the republic trades with many Justinian kingdoms in Geryon, and the worship of Justinian is theoretically allowed, Luzerne gangs active in Violette's poorer neighbourhoods often vandalize Justinian churches and intimidate or assault those who publicly express their support for the God-King of Sacrosanctum.
-Religion Demographics: 80% of the population are followers of the Old Ways compared to about 5% Justinians. The remainder are either irreligious or follow small, minority religions (mostly the former).
-Holy Relics In Possession: None.
-Holy Sites Under Control: The Piscine de la Lune is an important holy site for followers of the Old Way. It is said that those who bathe in the pool's waters are spiritually cleansed, and it is common for those meditating inside the cave during the night-time hours to claim to see visions of Uwan, the Moon Goddess. Less reverently, it is also alleged that angry mobs of Luzerne who run across Justinians in the republic's south lands punish the blasphemers by drowning them in the Piscine de la Lune's waters—a poetic end for those unwise enough to publicly express their worship of Uwan's rival.
-Magical Schools and Curriculum: Violette is home to two rival magical schools: the Université de Rayons, which teaches divination and is formally affiliated with the city's Astral Hierarchy churches, and the Laïque Magi, an all around wizard's school, but which is most known for its excellence in air and water (and ice) manipulation. The Rayons, alumni of the Université de Rayons, typically go on to work within the worship of the Astral Hierarchy. The graduates of the Laïque Magi, colloquially called 'Quemagi', often serve in the trade sector, helping prominent captains to traverse the seas.
MILITARY
The Veletian Gendarmerie is the republic's combined army and police force, responsible for protecting Violette and her possessions from threats both external and internal. The force is extensively trained, highly disciplined and pays exceedingly well, ensuring that its uniformed men are skilled in both combat and manner; the only thing better than a gendarme's aim is his etiquette. The rigorous nature of the initiation requirements and the training process ensure that only the most capable men make it into the gendarmerie. For this reason the organization is famously impartial, baring no predisposition towards corruption or harassment of innocents, as might be found in other cities.
The second consequence of the gendarmerie's strict induction process is its small number of enlisted men. The gendarmerie's numbers are what one might expect for the guard of a city half Violette's size, and therefore they must be supplemented at times with local militia groups of substantially lower quality. In the settlements of the Luzerne and Fleur de Tulipe, for instance, it is not uncommon for a village to possess only one or two resident gendarmerie, aided in their efforts by a larger number of local militiamen who report to them. This situation can also occur during times of war; when the gendarmerie are believed to be too few to counter a threat, it is not uncommon for the gendarme in charge to recruit a temporary militia to fill in any gaps for which there are too few uniformed men to occupy.
The dress, weaponry and even the behaviour of the gendarmerie is highly regimented. Their violet-coloured uniforms are tight-fitting, made of breathable, stretchable fabrics, designed to mimic the dress of the upper classes without limiting combat capability. Over top of this uniform is worn a padded cuirass, for purposes of defence. The standard gendarmer in the field will be armed with musket and attached bayonet; part of a gendarmer's training involves being able to load and fire five rounds per minute from their firearm. Those gendarmerie deployed in settlements fulfilling police roles, rather than on the battlefield, are instead equipped with a flintlock pistol and sabre, to preserve fleet of foot. As to a gendarme's behaviour, a strict code of conduct is followed, called the 'manière charmant'. It has three basic tenets: a gendarmer must act without personal advantage or favour, must conduct themselves with nobility and grace when treating with all classes of persons regardless of status, and is to exemplify courage in all their dealings within and without the call of duty. The Veletian militia, in contrast, has only one expectation: obedience.
The pride of Violette and the master of the Deeping Ocean, the Veletian Marine is one of the largest and most technologically advanced naval forces in the world. Its top-of-the-line vessels patrol the seas from the farthest reaches of the Fleurs de Mer to the beginning of the Dolorous Bay, protecting the maritime empire of the Dragon's Spine's largest city. The territorial breadth of Violette's empire does not represent the full extent of the reach of the Veletian marine, however. Veletian merchant ships carrying cargo of exceptional value will often by accompanied by war-vessels of the marine, deterring all but the most foolish pirates and other enemies of commerce. These commissioned trade outings, alongside the constancy of piracy threats, ensure that the Veletian marine is a more experienced naval fighting force than nigh any other. While in many foreign lands, formal military vessels are often in duty only in times of war, most ships under the command of the Violette Senate are kept in action at all times (excluding regular repairs and inspections), leaving their captains and crew ready and seasoned for battle.
Although the Veletian Marine is a more than sufficient force for both defending the republic and projecting its power abroad, Violette also possesses a large merchant navy. Rather than for defence, they exist for the purpose of conducting overseas trade, the primary engine of the Veletian economy. Owned primarily by either trade enterprises or private individuals, the vessels of the Veletian Merchant Navy tend to focus on speed and cargo space over defensibility, and in times of conflict (either with pirates or foreign navies) are dependent on the Marine to ensure they reach their destination.
NATIONAL DRAMATIS PERSONAE
-Head of State: Violette possesses no formal head of state or head of government—all senators are theoretically of equal rank, and there are no ministerial or secretarial positions which devolve duties. However, the Violette Senate is not immune to the natural tendency of councils to form voting blocs, and the members of those voting blocs are not immune to the natural tendency of mankind to look up to leaders. As such, it is Charles Dupont, the most influential of the Senate's members at present, who is generally seen as the republic's leader.
The first born son of a famous and beloved political figure of Violette's past, Charles Dupont II is a substantially more modest and reserved man than his illustrious father.
TBA
Charles Dupont, now remembered as Charles Dupont the First, was an entrepreneur of Veletian might, a bombastic and ambitious man, and easily among the greatest of the Violette Senate's long list of men of politics. His accomplishments were so many that even his rivals, of which his charismatic nature ensured there were few, could not help but sincerely commend his contributions to the republic. He is remembered as the man who brought the Most Serene Republic of Violette into an entirely new age, placing it at the forefront of a great technological leap forward that would supplant it firmly in place as a great power, worthy of international respect and prestige.
It was after a long and hard-fought political campaign that still newly elected Senator Charles Dupont accomplished his first feat worthy of the history books: the expansion of the Senate itself, to make way for seats representing the Luzerne, effectively extending the democratic principle to all the citizens of Violette's mainland. Besides being the largest such expansion since the fall of Pharazon, this change also afforded the still up and coming Charles Dupont a small army of indentured senators, bound to Dupont's will by the degree of affection that the newly empowered electorate of the Luzerne held towards him. It was with the aid of this great quantity of new allies that Dupont convinced the Senate to fund a massive military campaign to the yet unpacified Fleur de Tulipe. This campaign, which Charles ensured became known as the Dupont Expedition, flooded the island with as many gendarmerie as it had inhabitants. The gendarmerie combed over every square inch of the island, capturing or killing the indigenous Lescour rebels to the last, and bringing peace to the island for the first time since the beginning of Veletian colonization. It was immediately coinciding this great and perhaps needlessly expensive victory that the inhabitants of Fleur de Tulipe, too, were granted seats in the senate—at Dupont's behest.
After securing himself an array of all but guaranteed allies, Dupont initiated a massive senatorial spending spree. The Violette Senate began to invest massive amounts into the Veletian Marine and Violette's port facilities, commissioning the greatest ship-builders from across the land to not just design new vessels, but entirely new technologies. An entirely new branch of government was set up, its sole function the research and development of new technologies and innovations to increase efficiency. The short-term effects were primarily negative, sending the Senate deep into debt and severely damaging Dupont's reputation. Yet, the affection of the Luzerne and men of the Fleur de Tulipe had, alas, already spread into Violette's poorer neighbourhoods, seeded by Luzerne newcomers. It was thus that yet another clutch of senators found themselves unelectable unless they follow Dupont's lead; and so, by the skin of its teeth, the program continued. Time had nearly run out for the dwindling Dupont when a convenient political crisis allowed him to show off the fruits of the labour he had forced upon Violette. The new ships of the Veletian Marine, fantastically large and equipped with stunningly large arrays of cannons, were sent to fight against a newly consolidated pirate-state. The naval vagabonds of the Fleurs de Liseron had evicted what little presence the Senate's naval wing had in those islands, and forged between themselves a formal alliance, which announced independence from the Most Serene Republic and swore loyalty to Justinian. The matter necessitated quick resolution, to avoid any of the kingdoms of Geryon taking the offer of the pirates and claiming the islands for themselves. As such, it was with relative unanimity, even among Dupont's greatest critics, that the fruits of the research program's labours be sent along with the main war fleet to re-establish sovereignty in the isles.
This conflict would come to be Dupont's most spectacularly remembered triumph. The broadside cannons of Dupont's truly massive galleons tore the pirate vessels to pieces in the dozens, at times wiping out multiple ships in a single volley, rendering them barely recognizable wooden tatters. This stupendous carnage was most elegantly displayed in the Battle of Convalescence, so named for the state it forced upon the pirate coalition. A mere four of Dupont's massive vessels, in formation, unassisted by any of the other ships of the Veletian Marine, was converged upon by and entirely destroyed the main fleet of the three most powerful captains of the pirate coalition. Thousands of pirates perished, drowned in the wreckage of their sloops. A fleet from Geryon, witnessing the battle from out of cannon range, sailed back south at the sight. Each of those three pirate captains who had led their fleets into the battle perished, drowned amongst their men. Once the fleets were ravaged, the remaining enemy vessels and any survivors in the seas were escorted back to Violette. There, in a grand procession at night, within sight of Violette's ports and the windows of the residences of the Palais du Peuple, the remnants of the pirate fleet—rendered immobile and laden with prisoners—were set ablaze. Another two thousand men either burned alive or drowned, the fires that engulfed their small ships illuminating the night sky to display in brilliance Dupont's creations. The remaining pirates of the Fleurs de Liseron abandoned the coalition, effectively ending the war, and entering into a conflict amongst each other for territory in the islands that led to their continual decline in power over the remainder of Dupont's time in the Senate. This duration would eventually be cut short in 196, when Charles Dupont fell gravely ill and shortly thereafter passed away. His son, Charles Dupont II, then announced candidacy for his father's vacated Senate seat, and won by several landslides.
-Military Chief:
-Religious Head:
-Persons of interest:
CULTURAL
-History: The history of the Most Serene Republic and the city in which it is centred is one in the same. As such, the republic's history is considered by the Senate to have begun when Violette was first founded, in ancient days, generations before the rise of the Pharazon Empire.
What is the now the grand metropolis of Violette was originally founded as a small fishing village, by the eastern Spine's indigenous human inhabitants. The settlement was so named due to the many wild violets growing on the island in which it was situated—the Fleur de Violette, which now houses the republic's capital building. Violette grew naturally at a relatively quick pace its early days, new settlers lured in by the unending wealth of the sea: fish. It was the desire for wealth drawn from an entirely different source, though, that first sparked Pharazon's interest in what would soon properly become a city.
During the conquest of the Spine by Pharazon, Violette endeavoured to remain neutral, thereby attracting refugees from the rest of the war-torn region to its own peaceful shores. It was in this period of waiting, after the beginning of the conquest but before Pharazon had yet taken the city, that the Violette Senate was founded. Originally housed in a (comparatively) modest merchant's villa in the city's north end, the Senate was created for the purpose of providing a solid governmental framework for Violette, a base from which to organize the construction of defences for the city, and the creation of a military force to ward off aggressors. In those days, Violette's ports were home only to fishing vessels, and the idea of a Veletian navy was more or less laughed off as an expensive and unnecessary venture.
It was when Violette was still only part of way through the process of preparing itself for war that war arrived, uninvited. A surprise assault from Pharazon by sea, including a landing of men to the city's south and east, took the Senate and its newly mustered militia by surprise. The Capture of Violette was swift and decisive; the militia was crushed, Violette's shores hammered with fire from Pharazon's navy, and the only newly formed Senate was disbanded. Although the Senate's death would eventually be undone when Violette won back its independence, hundreds of years later, one change that Pharazon made to the Veletian homeland would be unending: the initiation of maritime trade.
After Violette was captured and its region pacified, Pharazon made extensive renovations and investments in the city's structure. The city's port, a haphazard collection of wood and nail, was demolished entirely. In its place, Pharazon constructed a grand new port, one much larger, of much higher quality, and designed for much more substantial vessels than meagre sailing ships. Seeing Violette's unique geographical position as an opportunity, the Pharazon Empire made Violette a free port, the empire's primary trading city along the Deeping Ocean. Trade routes that have stood to the present day were first established in those years, and the powers that be in Pharazon even deigned to head-quarter their northern fleet in the city—a point of information that would become incredibly important to the increasingly subjugated Veletians in the future.
((War against Pharazon to be worked out yet. Dates and such need to be settled with all the other players)).
After Violette won its independence, and the heated (but peaceful) struggle for separation from Drakonus was over, the newly revived Violette Senate announced a major construction project to both signify the city's newly restored sovereignty and solidify their own authority. All buildings and parcels of land on the Fleur de Violette, the city's founding place, were purchased by the Senate, only to be demolished and cleared. In their place, an entirely new, massive construct—the Palais du Peuple—was built, to tower over all of the rest of the city and serve as the Senate's permanent chambers. The Veletian Marine and Gendarmerie were also established in this period, the former a newly Veletian rendition of Pharazon's stolen navy, and the later a reinvention of the rapidly collected militia established by the first Senate.
Elayne scoffed at Hector's well intentioned off-hand sexism, but nonetheless obliged his offer to take a breather. Why do a lot of heavy lifting that someone is eager to do for you? Settling as cozily as she could into an alcove, Elayne withdrew a small book from her bag and relaxed for awhile, reading absent-mindedly, not drawing any meaning from the words but more so just glancing her eyes over them. She might have seemed quite lazy to some of the others, taking a rest while Hector and the Elves worked, but the moment of calm served a practical purpose, allowing the young mage's magicka to replenish. If there was another small army of draugr behind the debris, she'd be useless against them unless she allowed her body to replenish after the firestorm she'd conjured earlier.
Once the group set off again, Elayne relished the opportunity during the trudge through the dark tunnel to inspect her contemporary's magelight. It had improved, evidently; she must have either learned to manipulate it better all of her own accord or been given a few quick pointers by one of the other magic users. Elayne hoped it was the latter—resorting to trial and error was entirely pointless when there were plenty of potential tutors around to draw from. Besides that, manipulation of magic was always a dangerous endeavour. When a mage adjusted her handling of a spell, there was also the possibility it'd morph into something else entirely. It would be quite embarrassing for Merci, and quite painful for whoever was right in front of her at the time in the close quarters of the tunnel, if her efforts to improve her magelight's brightness turned it into a fireball.
Once the party reached a mercifully wider open area, what seemed to be an old library, Elayne's inquisitive nature in inspecting the room's many scroll-covered tables led to her forgetting entirely about the small cache of treasure that the others were already looting. Once she'd found the scrolls in too poor condition to learn anything from, Elayne got around to grabbing her share of what remained. There were a small few amethysts and a couple bits of gold left, as well as a much more interesting prize: a dagger, glimmering with some sort of enchantment. Though she was not a warrior, Elayne figured having a blade stashed somewhere easy to grab could definitely come in handy in close quarters like those of the Nordic tomb she now found herselfdeep inside. She slipped the dagger into her robes, leaving what remained of the valuable baubles to the others.
When Balen spoke, Elayne gave a quick shake of her head. "Nothing I've seen so far is even slightly legible, unfortunately. Best leave it all alone. All risk for no reward. Even if there aren't any traps, it'd be a waste of time."
Grammatical consistency is something that is entirely irrelevant, and only exists because people believe in it's importance.
Language itself only exists because people believe it's important. The English language isn't a product of nature, so obviously its rules aren't either. Also, this is an appeal to nature fallacy.
When viewed with any significant historical lens, it's clear that language is constantly evolving.
Language's constant state of flux is not a reason to defy the structural rules governing language, but rather to reinforce them in order to sustain intelligibility in spite of the change. What is considered acceptable occasionally changes; that does not for any reason make it wise to abandon all rules determining what is or is not acceptable. Words are spelled a certain way. Words can only be put together in a certain way. Spelling a word incorrectly or organizing a sentence incorrectly introduces ambiguity, which is antithetical to the entire purpose of languages.
Also, when using ellipses, it is stylistically best to use three dots. Two seems like you meant to place a period but accidentally doubled up, and four or more is excessive.
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