THE GOUT

[John Ivory 4547]

 

 

“Joachim! JOACHIM!”

The sickly Pontiff did boom throughout the townhouse, calling for his nephew to no avail. He adjusted himself in his bed, lazily removing his blankets. Revealing itself in all its splendor, his gout-ridden foot, bandaged as it was, lay unmoving. He cursed, before attempting in vain to call for the boy once more.

“JOACHIMMMM!!!”

“He’s not home, uncle! Uncle, he’s not home!”

There was Anais, appearing like an angel, from the staircase. Daniel thanked God, before painfully pushing himself with his arms to the edge of his bedside, before supplicating his niece for aid. Good and attentive girl as she was, Anais came to him and helped him up, lending him the support of the wooden cane which was propped up neatly against the wall.

“Bless you, girl, bless you.”

With the help of his beloved niece, Daniel made his way downstairs to the dining room of the house.

 

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The Haas townhouse is a remarkably small place; if you were to tell a curious stranger that seven people called it their home (six year round, and one as a part-time resident) they would find it most unbelievable. Situated in the neighborhood of Anpalais Place in Helena, it is surrounded by townhouses and manors twice its size, with half its occupants.

 

Upon entering the house, one would notice the kitchen and all its spoils immediately to the left. There are no cooks in the Haas family, and it is Jasper (unrelated to them by blood) that cooks most all the meals. The Rhenyari man specializes in spiced delicacies, which Daniel savors, along with his drink.

 

Straight ahead is the dining room, half of which extends outside and onto a magnificent porch, constructed by the designs of “Prince” Rupert. At the head of the table is a grand high-chair, which the Pontiff has now made his full time residence, too sick to travel and too lethargic to rise from throughout the day.

 

Above are the bedrooms of Jan, his son Joachim, and Daniel. Joachim sleeps in the attic due to his being the youngest of men in the family, able (currently) to climb the small ladder which is required of him. Below sleep Helaine and Anais Haas, Helaine being Jan and Daniel’s sister, and Anais being Jan’s daughter; as well as Rupert Carrion and Jasper, who has no surname. Often a-time the most typical guests of the house are to be found gathered at the dinner table: His Imperial Highness Antony Sigismundic, the barber Gustav Mane (who owns a shop off Nauzica Square), or that nephew of Lieutenant Colonel Basrid’s, who goes by the name of Jahan. So ends the catalogue of names.

 

---

 

“That’s just fine.”

Daniel is helped to his seat the head of the dinner table, which he has rendered his study as of late. The letters directed for his attention have increased ten-fold as of late, and this he readily accepts as a relief, for he has naught else to do as the day passes. Today’s dispatch of note comes from His Excellency, the Secretary of the Treasury, complaining violently of the Metropolitan’s sermonizing during a Board Meeting of the City.

“A bit of spiced wine, my girl!”

“Yes, uncle.”

At this, the Pontiff began to write an encyclical letter, directed to all the Sees of the Church.

 

---

 

 

AN ENCYCLICAL LETTER

OF THE HIGH PONTIFF

DANIEL VI

TO THE ARCHBISHOPS, BISHOPS, AND LOCAL ORDINARIES

AND TO THE CLERGY AND FAITHFUL OF THE CANONIST CHURCH

 

6th of Tobias’s Bounty, 1736

 

Dearly beloved, peace and Apostolic benediction. His Holiness is overcome with the gout, and is rendered unfit to travel. As such, He is incapable of returning to the Pontifical Residence at Varoche Palace, and the Chair of St. Daniel is temporarily moved to Helena. His Holiness has chosen to live together with His family in the hours of His sickness, and begs for the prayers of the Faithful, that He may be proffered recovery by Our Lord on High.

 

Deo gratias,

DANIEL VI 

 

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((If you would like to RP with my character, feel free to do it here on this post, or visit him in-game at 12 Anpalais Place in Helena.))

[ARCHITECUS 4788]

Antony reclines on the balcony of Haas House, puffing his pipe and watching with his one eye the canals for ratmen.

[Axelu 4333]

The Duchess of Alba aims to pursue the sickly Pontiff’s homestead, bearing a tome. She’d eventually find the threshold of his home, rapping thrice upon the door while relinquishing her hold upon the worn valuable. With a drastic pivot, Julia descends the stairway, clutching her chaplet with a tauted hand.  ”GOD keep him, and may he come to a swift decision.”

[LithiumSedai 5750]

1 minute ago, Axelu said:

The Duchess of Alba aims to pursue the sickly Pontiff’s homestead, bearing a tome. She’d eventually find the threshold of his home, rapping thrice upon the door while relinquishing her hold upon the worn valuable. With a drastic pivot, Julia descends the stairway, clutching her chaplet with a tauted hand.  ”GOD keep him, and may he come to a swift decision.”

The Prince of Alstion saw it fit to escort his sister to the Pontiff’s residence, observing the ordeal from some distance – a brief glance cast over his battered suit of black plate and his bloodied sword, souvenirs from the orcish trenches. Showing no interest in drawing nearer or acquainting himself with the home’s numerous residents, his purple-and-black cape fluttered in the wind as he, too, departed the scene sometime after the Duchess. “May he recover quickly, and make his opinion known.”

[frill 2277]

Monsignor Haraccus looked gloomily as he rode his old mare to Hel, but very attentive to his business ahead. This stare of formality was invariably custom of the laconic Rassidun as a he slipped further into age. His horse, some old beast primed for a knacker’s yard, too looked unusually well-groomed. With time and the good grace of no vagabonds lurking the road, he should be fit to make the gates of the city within a day.