VIROS

Elegy for an Empire (1868) by Caspian of Rhen A herald came to town today, unlike the one who came before. She bore no banner, wore no clothes, and spoke nothing but two words: ‘Again, again!’ the magpie cried, its voice a laughing girl’s. ‘Again, again!’ the magpie mocked, and flew into the woods. Few heard the feathered herald’s cry, as few had heard the day before, when another messenger arrived, his voice thundr’ing: “No more!” “No more will you know hunger, no more will you struggle, and no more will soldiers come, to trample your green fields. No more will vultures plunge to gorge upon your wayward sons. For Hark! A prince is born to us, a final prince, a final war.” A hundred years, four score, and ten, that old familiar promise echoed. But ignorant of the tongue of men the magpie’s forecast never erred: ‘Again! Again!’

The Archchancellor receives the ultimatum while taking her morning tea. She addresses her Vice-Chancellor, "Ulfric's beard will make fine material for my brother's coronation wig, don't you think?" @Minuvas

Josephine Augusta, aunt to Philip Amadeus, is utterly shocked. "Who could have predicted the Duke would fake his own death? Certainly not I," she remarks.

"His Holiness does not quail before the baseless accusations of heathens. I am glad to see he will stand up for Canondom," remarks the Archchancellor to her imperial brother, @ErikAzog

The Archchancellor walks past the missive on the street, unable to notice it because it is posted 3 feet off the ground.

Show me your Spotify Wrapped 🙂

Josephine Augusta sighs, leaning back in her chair before the fire as she finishes reading the encyclical. She ponders its meaning in silence, then looks to her mentor, Cardinal Allobrogum @Harald. "Congratulations, Fr. Johan. His Holiness has quoted one of your sermons."

The Archchancellor had spent the better part of the day pacing the halls of Selm Palace, being cautiously mollified by a flock of advisors civilian and military alike. Each of them had told her the situation should not be escalated, and from all her rational mind told her, they were—unfortunately—right. But they had not been there. Even for those who had been there, they were not ultimately responsible for overseeing their meeting with the King of Haense, as he danced and sang; played the bagpipes over her retinue, his own mother even! Her blood boiled at the thought. Josephine Augusta realized then that she had crushed another cigarette, too preoccupied to roll it properly. She sighed. Was there something different she could have said? Should she have called the King to Providence instead, or left as soon as he made it clear a show was to be put on? Or was the outcome fixed from the moment she arrived—perhaps even from some earlier time, beyond her sight? At last, she went to bed (nearly forgetting her prayers). She dreamt fitfully of smirking Savoyards and the ominous closing of the gates of Karosgrad.

You’ve played so many characters— what’s your process for making them? How do you decide what makes your characters who they are?

Goofy characters characters are fun even in a "serious" setting. My interactions on Josephine Augusta (a very grumpy, no-nonsense old lady) with silly halfling butlers or spider-throwing hobos are great. Also, raiders and closed gates are a problem because war as it exists sucks. You know what we used to do when a specific group kept raiding our city and making us miserable? We'd conquer their fort and disperse them. Now you execute the same people over and over and they just keep regrouping at their untouchable terrorist headquarters.

This poll isn’t being conducted through ranked choice voting and therefore it is illegitimate and undemocratic.

The Princess Imperial is pleasantly surprised at how well-attended the meeting was, and even gladder that everyone in attendance--without exception--agreed that a conversion at swordpoint is no conversion at all. Better yet, she was able to speak with the Arch-Lector, a man she greatly admires.

First of all-- congratulations! 1. What accomplishment on LotC are you most proud of? 2. You've been on LotC for so long; how do you keep things fresh and stay interested?

Josephine Augusta offers up a prayer to St. Harald Vuiller for the continued health of his beloved son, her teacher. She ponders on the many years he had lived— more than twice the length of her own life. Fr. Johan had many stories, but within this volume there were even more she had not yet heard.

Josephine Augusta stands in the garden of the Augustine Palace, eyeing a gecko nervously. She breathes a sigh of relief as it slinks behind a ledge--Simon Pruvia wouldn't sneak up on her today!