Defeat

[Caranthir_ 2533]

 

His eyes and ears had left him, yet his fiery passion for life remained. Despite all judgements to the contrary, Amadeus d’Aryn had survived for almost seventy years. He had faced rivals, pagans, schismatics, and worst of all: the politicians. As he sat in the Cathedral of Karosgrad he felt a surge of pride in who he was, and what he stood for.

 

Many, many moons before had Amadeus stood upright and confidently in the House of Commons as Leader of His Imperial Majesty’s Opposition. He proclaimed his will, orated amongst the very best of them, and worked with the ardor that many lesser men could simply never hope to achieve.

But he never won; he could not. No matter what the message, the people of Oren - at this point still with Haense in tow - would never accept him. He held the stains of a disrespected noble family, it was not fashionable to the times. Three defeats at a general election, three bitter concessions. His opportunity of leadership dashed amongst the rocks. A would be Archchancellor? No: a failure.

 

He carried this with him even now. He could not save his High Pontiff James, the man he had come to love like none other. In all his years he never had a wife, never had another to lean on.

 

His story was one of destitution and close scrapes. In his crowning years, he negotiated the Peace of Merryweather, which saved his Empire from a losing war and left his Emperor unscathed. He was appointed Supreme Court Justice to Oren, made a Knight of the Realm, and then a Peer of the Lords. The laurels of glory were there for the taking, but were ultimately confined to history.

 

All his miserable life he had said yes, acted with grace and accepted defeat. Defeat: it was all he knew.

 

But not there in that Cathedral. No, not that day. In the Diet he would stand his last ground against what he saw as a destruction of tradition. His life’s work falling through his hands vote after vote. It was ironic, the vote had always ended him.

 

And then, as the sovereign representatives of Oren and Haense saw fit to nail the final coffin in that project of a lifetime, the old Cardinal refused to give in. The General Peter d’Arkent valiantly attempted to save himself from his own demise, but it was all over.

 

In the following scrap he was trampled against the altar and died of internal hemorrhaging. He did not have any last words, but if he had then they would have been unnoteworthy in any case.

 

Defeat: that was all he knew. This final one had killed him, and brought the curtain on the House d’Aryn for good.

 

[argonian 14254]

Conrad Barclay shows his old boss new and exciting ways of rigging elections in the Seven Skies.

[LithiumSedai 5750]

Charles de Rennes offered his friend a hearty welcome in the Seven Skies, where eternal bliss was victory enough.

[Draeris 3124]

Sipping his tequila, now with a mustache & Rocheban sunglasses, the man that goes by [REDACTED] reads the missive behind a fake newspaper. "Ohh my GOD." the incognito ex-Pontiff would gasp, a tear rolling over his cheek "These cretins caused absolute destruction, and at what cost?"

[ErikAzog 3575]

the General would frown as he carried the body of the fallen Cardinal from the Cathedral in Karosgrad to the Providence, hoping to lay the notable statesman and priest to rest.

[MRCHENN 4741]

The missive of the knight's death would reach the desk of the Galbraith, a slight frown appearing on his face as he learned the details of his passing. He would remember watching the legendary and historic standoff - between Jonah Stahl-Elendil and Sir Amaedus d'Aryn. As his body would be laid to rest in Providence, he'd watch - once more. It would seem that another of his old colleagues had fallen once again.

 

"May everyone learn to persevere, just how Sir Amaedus once did."

[VIROS 2915]

James II receives another of his former colleagues into the Seven Skies, a place where the tragedies of the world below would soon fade from memory.

[Tiresiam 462]

Robert de Bourdon held the Cardinal in his arms, Imperial Soldiers clawing upon him like vultures as he sent off the dying man to the skies above. He wished that he too could die as well as the man before him, defying the tyranny of the earth and ascending to the skies above. Yet he was still young, but a boy. His constitution was strong and thus he endured the beating, just as he had endured the bolt which had failed to assassinate the Pontiff first time running.

[Crows 118]

Methas would cry a single tear "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"

[Axelu 4333]

The Holy Mother wept, in the company of the Catherinite sisters,  for the pointed deaths that had plagued the church on this month of infamy. In the honor of all the fallen, no matter which philosophy they claimed was veritable, she ignited the uninspiring wick of some candle and surveyed as its wax grew molten by the instance. "In Nomine Patris, Amen.."

[sergisala 3451]

Sir Edward Galbraith would start crying as he received the news "Another old good friend of mine that passes away. A true statesman of the Church of the Canon and a true Orenian." He would then sign the Lorraine and clean the tears from his eyes, before concluding his prayer "Amen"

[ApplePieKathy 561]

Vivaca Rutledge frowned after hearing of Amadeus's death, "I disagreed with Amadeus on most things, however, he was a principled, hard-working man. May he rest in peace." 

[Jachnun 566]

 

 

As the crowd initially gathered in Karosgrad for the monumental diet, the recently revived and beautified crusader, Ser Stefan Himmel, viewed from a dusty and abandoned loft in the Haeseni capital. Holding against his finger the ragged curtain, he looked down upon the gathering, his face void of any expression. 

 

Behind him the young man who recently revived him began assembling a certain relic, the crusader looked to the boy, inquiring, "Why are we here.." the boy chuckled continuing to fidget about with the materials, "There's always a purpose." the crusader moved over to the boy, "I am revived by a boy who claims to be of Kralta, only to be dragged to squat in this frigid place?" The boy looked at him frustratingly, placing down his materials, "Anymore complaints?" 

 

The crusader sighed moving back to the window, he would look from the window again remarking, "Something's happening down there." the boy sighed pushing together two metal bars, twisting them together, "I know." 

 

At the very instant the weapon was assembled, a large explosion erupted in the cathedral, causing Himmel to fall on the ground, "Creator help me!" the boy walks over, staff in hand offering Himmel an arm, "Get up, there's much to be done." 

[Harald 2875]

After seeing to the body of Holy Sir Nicholas would Johan slowly move towards the body of Amadeus that would lay next to the alter. seeing his old friend who he had served with for most of his years within the church and the Curia of James II another tear would hit the ground as the man slightly wept "You where a fine man Amadeus, and and ever finer priest. May James welcome you to the seven skies where we shall all soon meet again." he`d look over to the General Erik of the ISA before once more signing the Lorraine readying himself to aid the General in the safe return of Amadeus

[Iudaes 1095]

"Amadeus." Cardinal St. Julia muttered to himself in the hallowed halls of the Basilica. He had been drafting up the decree to announce the Sede Vacante for hours by now, each copy he made soon to be stained by tears. He remembered all those fallen that day but most of all, Cardinal Amadeus who he had shared the Curia with for years and now served as his successor in the seat of Vice Chancellor. Manfried prayed deeply for the soul of Amadeus, praying to God that his soul may ascend safely to the Seven Skies and be met at the gates by his brothers in faith. "A true martyr.. all of them... bless you, Amadeus. God bless you."