Jayphynph

Daniel was lounging somewhere in the Seven Skies with a good book and a glass of whisky as he heard a noise approaching. As he turned to behold his wife, a mass of different contradicting emotions welled up within him. He placed the book and glass down at his side, merely staring at her for a while, unable to decide on a specific demeanor. Finally, a small smile prevailed, one exhibiting both grief and happiness. "I didn't expect to see you here so soon," he said with a sigh. "I've missed you, my love." He stood up to give her a hug, embracing her for the first time in years. Pulling back, the smile was now emphatically happy as he gestured for Brianna to take a seat so they could catch up. "How are the kids?"

The by this point dead-and-buried Daniel von Rhoswald looked on from beyond the grave, expressing a sigh of relief as years of work was finally finished. "About time, Georgie," he mumbled before continuing to do whatever it is dead people do...

As sorrowfully announced by the House von Rhoswald on the 11th of Dragon's Roar 639 AA “So much left unfinished…” The thought echoed throughout Daniel’s mind as he lay idle on the floor behind the counter of the St. Godwinsburg Tavern. Though he tried, he could not move a muscle, his well-worn spectacles lying shattered on the ground beside him. “What of Max?” The boy, now a man, was still yet to find his footing in life, yet to discover his destiny. “What of Brigitte?” His eldest daughter and heir, still a young woman with great responsibility thrust upon her far too soon in life. How would she do as such an important figure? Was she ready? “What of Isla?” His second daughter, neither tested by the struggles of life, nor tried in its pleasures. “What of Athol?” The young priestling, great ambition tempered by a relentless resolve, sometimes to his own detriment. He’d never see his son grow up, at least not properly. “What of Micah?” For Micah, he worried the most. The poor kid was not raised right, he concluded, shaming himself in the process. How would they fare in life with no father to take care of them? He heard footsteps outside the tavern. He wanted nothing more than to shout for help, yet no matter how much he instructed his body to move, his voice to sound out in the streets, nothing happened. And no one entered to find him in this sorry state. “What of Kasper?” The youngest child. Would he feel as Daniel felt when his own father was taken from him? Would Kasper forget Daniel just as Daniel forgot Aaron? “No, no he’s old enough to remember me. Please, my boy, remember me…” The light of the sun outside began to fade. Daniel could feel blood at his temple, perhaps he had hit his head in the fall. “No… I won’t die like this, not now.” With all the power the aging Rhoswald could muster, did he once more command his body to move, this time with more success. It seemed, for a moment, that the spell cast over him lifted, and he rose to his feet with a great struggle. Half blind from lack of glasses, mouth heavy and drooling, pain shooting up and down the left side of his body as he tried to take a step outside, to those voices echoing throughout the streets, blissfully unaware of his condition. His vision became hazy again, he became dizzy again. Another step. Blood seeped into his eyes, he was now practically blind. Another step. “I will see my family again,” he thought to himself. Powered by the determination only a dying man could command. “What of my wife?” The thought stopped him in his tracks. Once just a friend for a decade, she came back into his life when he needed her the most. So much struggle. Too much struggle. “My dear, we will meet again.” Daniel von Rhoswald fell once more, now for the final time. Hitting his head on the bannister, everything went black in an instant. “Was this how my father felt? Bleeding out in the streets of Elizabeth? My mother, dying in my arms atop his grave? So many mistakes…” By the time he was found, it was too late, much too late. Echoes of his childhood, playing with his siblings was the last thing Daniel could manage to think of before, at last, everything went quiet. “... So many people to take care of. So-” The following is the last will and testament of Lord Daniel Andres von Rhoswald Mayor-Emeritus of Elizabeth and St. Godwinsburg, Master of Rolls, Gentile of Alba, Alderman of Little Furnestock To my daughter, Brigitte Mirabel, do I leave my title, and according duties and privileges. Likewise do I leave what may remain of my material wealth to her, including the house in Little Furnestock and adjoining land, charging her with upholding the virtues of our house and maintaining her siblings and mother, should the latter outlive me. To my brother Richard Alaric, do I leave stewardship of the Drunken Squire Tavern and Inn. I trust him to manage it as the property is either passed to another of my family, or reverted back to the city of St. Godwinsburg. I also pass all the inventory of the tavern, such as alcohol and food to him as intermediary, while proper negotiations take place regarding the tavern’s future. To my wife, Brianna, I leave my personal affects, which only she may deal with accordingly, knowing their history and importance. As regards funerary rights: I wish for my Golem prosthetic to be removed from my person and destroyed before burial, that after three and a half decades together, I may finally be removed from the construct. While perhaps sentimental, I wish to be buried wholly human. I wish to be buried according to the custom of my house, to be guided by my brother, Richard Alaric and sister in all but blood, Lilia de Senna. S I G N E D,

Daniel Andres von Rhoswald could not help but feel relieved as he held the missive in his (functional) hand. The years of labour, the repeated help of friends, and so little time left to enjoy its fruits. He could only hope the future was secure. Daniel sighed, placing the missive aside as he returned to his sickbed, a place he had been inhabiting more and more these past weeks.

I’ll ask the classic question: Who’s your favourite ever character?

Issued on the 17th of Aurelian’s Glory, 629 AA Good people of Azuras! In the heart of St. Godwinsburg, the capital of the Archduchy of Alba, there lies a tavern! A house of revelry and merriment, where old and young may gather to lift their spirits, engage in stirring discussion and feast to their hearts’ content! Come, one and all, and join in the festivities! All drinks and food is made in and from produce sourced from Alba, and when possible prepared specially in-house. Alcoholic drinks: Fassstärke: a home-made, smooth yet strong beer - 2 minae Eagle’s Gold, honey beer sourced from the Aesterwald Brewery - 2 minae Rhewen's Reserve: strong dwarven-made ale - 2 minae Alban Apple Cider: light, yet punchy - 2 minae Alban Spritz: a bubbly, colourful beverage - 2.5 minae Single-malt whisky, prepared in the Rhoswald cellars - 3 minae Dark Rum, prepared in the Rhoswald cellars - 3 minae Schnapps, perfect for good company - 3 minae Wyrvun's Breath: dwarven-made vodka - 3 minae Trierport Standard: red wine sourced from the Devereux vineyards - 3 minae Midsummer Cabernet, sourced from the Devereux vineyards - 3 minae Trierport Scarlet: the finest wine for special occasions - 20 minae Naturas Blanc: white wine courtesy of the Kingsley Company - 3 minae Waldenian Mulled Wine, served with raisins and blanched almonds - 3 minae Non-alcoholic beverages: Chocolate Coffee, infused with vanilla and hazelnut shavings - 2.5 minae Herbal Nettle Tea: a calming drink made with a finely tuned blend of fresh herbs - 2.5 minae Apple Juice, made from fine Alban apples - 2 minae Hot Chocolate, served with whipped cream and hazelnut and chocolate shavings - 2.5 minae Food & Sweets: The ‘Burg’n’d’: homemade with love. Beef, vegetables and a secret sauce between a bun - 3 minae Soft Pretzel: Waldenian-style warm pretzel topped with rocky sea salt - 0.5 minae Feast Platter: a variety of foods and meats all served together for the perfect sharing-meal - 3 minae Dragon Wings, sure to challenge even the strongest - 3 minae Chocolates, with vanilla or coconut fillings. Courtesy of the Kingsley Company - 2 minae Ask for specials, you never know what we might have in our stores! Rooms go for 20 minae/year, contact Daniel von Rhoswald For business inquiries, likewise please contact Daniel von Rhoswald

Charles Reye had long been ill by the time of his death. Although changed frequently, the bloodied handkerchief in his pocket served as a constant reminder of his ailments, and the encroaching promise of eternal rest. To his own dismay, Charles sometimes found himself wishing for the end to finally come. Sometimes, the pain of coughing up one’s lungs became just too much, and sometimes he found himself wishing to see his loved ones again, of whom he had lost so many. But Charles had been blessed with a fighting spirit. Even in his youth, which by now he often found himself thinking back to, he’d feast on maggots and leaves whenever he couldn’t hunt, sometimes due to a lack of animals, sometimes due to the threat of the gamekeeper and his nose. Sleeping outside in the wet and cold, hungry and thirsty, built tough nerves, but it was hardly good for one’s health… In the twilight of his life, amid the pain and rotting lungs consuming his very being, Charles even participated in the siege of New Valdev alongside the Númenedain. Perhaps he was hoping to die with honour and glory, or perhaps he just wanted to help. In any case, it was here his body finally broke beyond repair. Burned by boiling oil, shot in the thigh and stabbed in the stomach by the Mountain’s minions, Charles, barely hanging onto life, crawled back home to Silasia to die. There, with the help of Valencia, he clung to life for another excruciating month. Falling in and out of consciousness, struggling to find the thread of reality, coughing up bloodied bits of tissue from his lungs, heart, and throat. The final moments of Charles Reye’s life were not particularly pleasant. Charles, in his by-now common state of disrepair, was lying in bed trying desperately to sleep. Valencia walked in with various medicines and some food, although he did not initially register her presence. “…Failure. . . Camila. . . Val…” Charles’ words were as grim as they were unhinged, not much more than the ramblings of a dying man. Still, she’d attempt to reassure him. “Charlie… You did no such thing” Charles' eyes were glossed over, filled with tears, not seeming to process much, if any, information. He paused his rambling, asking a single, trembling question. “C-Camila? Where is your mother, I need to speak to he-” He cut himself off, realising something. “No… No, you're dead… I killed you, it was my fault.” Suddenly, the half-blind man became enraged, reaching to the dresser for his aurum dagger, determined to kill the ghost before him, yet, he failed. He kept scrambling for the instrument, every time failing to reach it. More tears only filled his eyes, as Charles began sobbing. “I'm so sorry, my daughter. I failed you” “You didn't fail me. I promise” regardless of who she was speaking as, herself or Camila, the words were true. His sobbing turned to a cough, growing increasingly violent until a small pool of blood had formed on the sheets. It mixed with Charles’ tears, forming a diluted stain which both of them tried to ignore. He looked to Valencia, a hint of recognition dawning on his face. How much recognition was tough to tell, but Valencia would most likely notice an expression which the marred, harried face had shown her so many times over the years. Love. “I should have married you,” he whispered, breathing heavy and staggered. Valencia took Charles’ hand in hers clasping it tightly, bringing it over her heart. “But you did. In here.” She thumped it once. “You're my husband, and I'm your wife. We always have been.” “I don't want to leave you, my love.” Charles, now lucid again, could feel tears well in his eyes once more. “I don't want to die, not yet….” - “I can't stop thinking about our daughter, Val. I should have been there for her, I should have protected her… Now I'm leaving you too, and I don't know if I can do that. And Felipe… GOD, that poor boy.” “There is nothing you could have done to save her” - “You aren't… leaving us. You are just taking a different form.” “A different form… I like that,” he chuckled. Valencia aiding in wiping his tears away, clearing his throat with a few more, thankfully blood-less, coughs. “I- I should get some rest,” he mumbled. “Thank you, my love. For everything you've done. I'll see you in the morning?” Charles then shuffled around, attempting to get comfortable amid his burns. He fell asleep with his hand in Valencia’s and died in her arms.

MC Name: KABOU_HS Discord: Jayphynph Image: Description of Image: Campaign poster for mayor of Elizabeth Dimensions: 1x1

✠ As Penned by the House von Rhoswald ✠ Steps of the Cathedral of St. Raguel, M. Kaba Halcourt UNTO THE REALM, On this day, the 4th of Godfrey’s Triumph, the House von Rhoswald happily announces the union of Master Daniel von Rhoswald, Lord Mayor of Elizabeth, and his betrothed, the Mistress Brianna. We extend an invitation of celebration unto the good people of Alba and the citizenry of the Empire. In the month of Horen’s Calling, the couple shall be united in holy matrimony within the hallowed halls of the Cathedral of St. Raguel, after which the celebrations shall spill forth into the streets of Elizabeth, that all may join in revelry and good cheer. ITINERARY Ceremony - St. Raguel’s Cathedral (3pm EST) Join us, one and all, within the city’s cathedral and chapel for the ceremony and exchange of vows. Festivities and Celebrations - The Rhoswald Tavern and Inn (Just after) After the ceremony, the wedding party will move to the Elizabeth tavern, where food and drinks will be served, and celebration and revelry fill the air! INVITATIONS Formal invitations go out to… Their Imperial Majesties, Emperor Tiberias I and Empress Circe and their Imperial household His and Her Royal Highness, the Prince Edward and Princess Cecily of Alstion and their Princely household The nobles of Alba and the Empire His Excellency Manfred von Berkhoven, and his esteemed household The Hausgarde of von Rhoswald family The Citizenry of the Empire The Citizenry of Alba Personal invitations go out to… Clemens and Mirabel Aldersberg, and their Noble household Kaba Halcourt, and her esteemed household Adel Al-Rashid, and his esteemed household Larkin Mack Winburgh, and his esteemed household Malna Loa’chil S I G N E D, Daniel von Rhoswald, Lord Mayor of Elizabeth Brianna

Daniel von Rhoswald had had a busy day. In the morning he had collected a letter from the aviary, though he had scarcely begun reading it before his duties as Mayor demanded his attention. He folded the note, tucking it away in his pocket. He'd read it later. Then later came. The sun was high in the sky, the city bustling with trade and spontaneous conversation. Daniel was still in mourning, after all, his mother had only recently died in his arms. Still, he was keeping himself blissfully busy, using the hustle and bustle of Elizabeth to distract himself from grief. The funeral would happen soon, and with it, peace. He stumbled upon the paper in his pocket. He'd read it later. Orange hues marked the sky, a sign for Daniel to finally make his way home and end the day. As he collapsed on the couch, as always neglecting to eat, he heard a crinkle. Curiously, he reached into his pocket to retrieve a letter he had completely forgotten about. He opened the note, unfolding the by-now tattered paper. Perhaps it was a housing request, a business pursuit to entertain or a-- He paused, reading the words carefully. Then reading them again. And again, and again, scarcely believing his weary eyes. It was Elmera's handwriting, he eventually confirmed, though the contents of the letter only opened more questions. Why did Elmera think herself a failure? Why didn't she talk to him about this? Why...? Daniel's older sister was dead, a revelation that would not dawn on him until the next morning. Daniel von Rhoswald cried himself to sleep that night, an increasingly common occurence. When he woke, he'd find the paper crumbled and torn, covered in dried tears. They didn't even have a body, he thought to himself. Still, he now had to plan a funeral for two.

Daniel Andres von Rhoswald, Denny's younger son and namesake, gently closed his mother's eyelids as he felt the pulse fade from her wrists. WIth trembling hands, he removed her cloak, using it cover her face. Daniel was on his knees as he softly wept, the tears falling from his eyes mixing with the rain falling from the heavens which now housed his mother. Soon, he'd carry her body alone back to the city for cremation. She'd be buried in the graveyard which was home to his father, the husband Denny had not seen in 26 years. In the coming days, he'd spot her in the little things that popped up during his busy days. In the taste of berries, the content sounds of the sleeping foxes that now inhabit his home. At least she didn't die alone. At least she's with father now...

Charles Reye slowly approached the body. The corpse of a woman he had seen grow up, who he had called daughter and whose children called him grandfather. Every step echoed throughout the room, thundering in his mind. The covered slab seemed to shake and whir, clouding his vision, an effect only worsening with each step as the aging man drew closer. Finally, he dared himself to lift the sheet from Camila's face... She seemed so... peaceful, he thought to himself. Despite the massive gash on the back of her head and bite marks on her body, she almost looked to be sleeping. Nevertheless, Charles collapsed on the floor at the sight, immediately breaking into tears. "I'm so sorry, my child..." - "I'm so sorry," was all he could say through the cascade of grief and pain now falling from his eyes. After what felt like an eternity, Reye managed to rise to his feet, looking Camila in the eyes. He took a deep breath, muttering a prayer before covering his daughter's face with the sheet once more. Beyond the many preparations for the funeral, Charles would have to sharpen his sword and tune his bow. He was going hunting, after all.

The campaign for Mayorship of Elizabeth for Daniel von Rhoswald Issued on the 5th of Owyn’s Flame 2036 To all good citizens and denizens of the city of Elizabeth! The time for elections for mayor has come, and the future of our fair city is once more in your hands. Each soul who stands in this race brings something unique, be it their values, vision, or bond with the good folk of Alba. For nearly a decade, I’ve run the bustling tavern at the heart of our town, serving more drinks than I can count and hearing the hopes, dreams, and troubles of the people of our city. I’ve learned many lessons and gained much experience. If chosen as mayor, I shall continue to listen, take counsel and place the thoughts and wishes of these wonderful people at the forefront of my decisions and plans. The construction and improvement of public works: The existing public infrastructure in the city of Elizabeth is in dire need of improvement. Our school remains empty, the shelves or our library unstocked and the clinic in constant need of supplies. Should I be elected mayor, rectifying this would be a priority, as would the construction of new public works such as a town hall for consistent meetings, public gardens for the leisure of the citizenry, including statues and memorials of important events and people in our city’s history, as well as an orphanage. Promoting your voice: Your voice has a right to be heard, and as such I plan on holding regular town meetings where the Elizabethan denizens can come to hear the latest news, make their opinions known and give feedback on the running of the city. Promotion of businesses and housing; The vendors and businesses of Elizabeth are paramount to its continued success and expansion. The stalls and shops of Alba are paramount to the city’s prosperity, and the rights of industrious citizens should reflect this. Furthermore, maintaining steady growth and keeping housing open newcomers will only add more life to our already vibrant city! Why vote? As residents and citizens of Elizabeth you have a voice and a right to for it to be heard. Whoever you may vote for in this coming election, exercising this right is your chance to directly impact the city around you! Lastly, I’d like to wish my fellow candidates the best of luck. I am certain that whoever emerges victorious shall bring a unique and successful vision to the future of our beloved city. S I G N E D,

Daniel von Rhoswald, who may or may not have introduced the couple, could feel his face slowly turn in a wide smile, as glee filled his soul at the news.

I don't, but when necessary, rectangles. I don't really have any, but I think the animals do, and in that case, they're the ones that should be listened to. I can :D I would sooner delve into the fires of Hades. Hmmmm... Deceptively friendly...